Pokemon Savior
by Chris Rode
Summary: *Story up for adoption*
1. Chapter 1: Pick-pocket

**NOTE: I have pictures of the OCs on Quizilla here: quizilla. teennick. stories/ 24157554/ fanfictionnet-oc-pics (just get rid of the spaces and add "com/" after "teennick."). This story is rated M for vulgar language and slightly suggestive themes in the future. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or the avatar creator on Hapuriainen's deviantart.**

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I sprinted down the alleyway, leaping over a few trashcans using my hands as support as I knocked them down behind me. That didn't delay my pursuer, but it was worth a shot. All I could do now was run.

"Get back here, ya lousy thief!" The man who was chasing me yelled. Apparently, people didn't like it too much when you tried to pick-pocket their wallets. Then again, a pro pick-pocketeer like me could only get caught by another, so the guy wasn't just a total bystander, either.

And it wasn't even the money I was after. Well, originally, that is. The guy was loaded - how could I not stash away a few bucks? Anyway, all I was looking to get was his ID. I'd return it to him later, if he ever stopped chasing me.

I smiled as we neared a familiar cross-section between alleys. I put my pinkies to the corners of my mouth and blew loud. The response was immediate.

My faithful Mightyena lunged out from an alley corner, teeth bared. I got a little ways behind him before stopping and turning to face the stunned business man.

"Tell me, how does a brat like you get a pokemon like that? Aren't you a little young, kid?" He asked, already pissing me off. Jeez, if I could just knock this guy's lights out, I would have by now.

"Listen here, ya stuck-up cheapskate. You don't need to know anything about me or my life, so just get outta here. I'll give you your stupid wallet back tomorrow." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. He blinked.

"What? Why would you do that?" He asked, confused. I rolled my eyes.

"Doesn't matter, does it? You're gonna get it back, so just leave me alone for now, okay?" I compromised. He narrowed his eyes.

"Do you expect me to believe a snot-nosed kid like you? There's no way I'm letting you get away with my wallet." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pokeball. "Let's settle this right here, right now. Weavile, come on out!" He exclaimed, releasing the pokemon from its pokeball. The Weavile readied its menacing claws for battle. I balled my fist, tucking the wallet safely away in my back pocket.

"Fine, if that's the way you wanna play it. Mightyena, get ready!" I warned, waiting for him to make the first move. I'd fought a lot of pokemon in my eighteen years of existence, but Weavile was not one of them. I wasn't familiar with any of its attacks.

"Alright. Weavile, use shadow ball!" The man ordered. Weavile opened its mouth to gather the dark energy.

"Mightyena, use shadow ball, too!" I told him. Mightyena was surely more powerful than that pitiful looking Weavile, even though I knew nothing about the latter. I'd grown up with this pokemon, and there were just some things I did know for certain.

As the shadow balls were released, they collided in the middle of the alley cross-section. This caused a huge explosion, which lifted enough smoke to block us from view. I snapped my finger and Mightyena and I bolted in the opposite direction. Maybe now I could finally get this guy's ID back to my older sister, Neborah (she was four years older than me). I was just dying to know why the hell she sent me through all this trouble to get it.

I glanced back to see we were being followed, the Weavile gaining on us fast. I turned to look at Mightyena as we ran, and gave him a curt nod. He skidded to a halt and whirled around to face Weavile, then opened its maw. Mightyena's fangs burst into flames as he bit down on Weavile's vulnerable red fringe using fire fang. Apparently, that part was extremely sensitive, because Weavile went down instantly.

Mightyena then caught back up to me easily, giving me what I interpreted as a wolfy grin. I grinned right back, seeing as the guy was no longer following us. We rounded a few more corners, then finally arrived at the hideout-like-thing Neborah and I set up years ago.

Living on the streets was like a job for us. We made money on the black market, but not enough to buy a house or keep up a substantial rent for an apartment. But it was enough to buy food, water and supplies, so we were pretty set. Still, we had to continuously trade around the black market to get anything, since our reputation with the rich, stuck-up snobs wasn't a good one.

I reached the double door basement entrance and held it open for Mightyena to go in first. I closed the doors behind us as we made our way down the stairs, activating motion-sensing lights on the way that turned off the farther we got from them.

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**Phew, okay. This is my first crossover fic, so I'm hoping it'll turn out good. I already have about 18 chapters ready to post, so I'll get right on that. Reviews are always appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Client

Our home was a labyrinth of underground tunnels. You got used to the constant odor when you've been living in it for the past ten years. Anyway, we navigated the halls, greeting two of my other pokemon on the way. I smiled as one bounded up to me and the other flapped its way over.

"Hey Houndoom, Honchkrow." I said kindly, patting the dog pokemon's head and scratching the bird pokemon's cheek. They made happy sounds and followed us as we started down the tunnels again. We made it to Neborah's "special quarters" shortly.

"Hey, I got that dude's ID like you wanted. Mind tellin' me what this was all about now?" I asked, handing her the guy's wallet as I reached her. She was sitting in front of her bargained-for computer, probably securing more trades and deals. She grinned hugely as she took it.

"This is great! I only needed the ID, but it's better that you got the whole thing." She said, snapping a picture of it with the crappy, half-ass camera she owned (again, a bargain). "Anyway, that guy was a world-famous magnate. The dude has sold all sorts of pokemon supply products, and is constantly coming up with new ideas every day. There's this client of mine who's been looking to find him, so he needs his social security number and all that. But I bet I can find his address somewhere in here..." She said, trailing off as she rummaged through the wallet. Then she gasped as she held up a card. "Yes! I am so getting paid triple for this! We've hit the lottery, Nell." She said happily as she flipped her long blue hair and turned to type away on her computer.

I watched as she contacted her client, sending him the address and all. He replied saying he'd meet us with the money and a bonus in an hour, seeming to be quite grateful about our work. Well, that was nice. It wasn't all the time our clients were so polite and generous. Usually, they were all so reserved and mysterious, not wanting to pay more than they have to. I mean, sure there were cheaper dealers out there, but everyone knew we were the best.

Anyway, Neborah called in the rest of our pokemon for dinner, since it was finally time. An Umbreon, Skuntank, Persian, Furret, Noctowl, Delcatty, Zangoose, Stoutland and Linoone appeared at her call. The Noctowl, Umbreon and Skuntank belonged to me while the others were her's. We each had six, and didn't even have pokeballs to control them.

We befriended these pokemon, like a ranger would, except they stayed with us. They could choose to leave at any time they wanted, but they didn't because we were great trainers. Even if we were scum in peoples' eyes, we treated our pokemon like family, which they were to us. We wouldn't ever abandon any one of them.

I trained with Mightyena and Skuntank for the hour we had to wait. Mightyena was obviously my right-hand partner, but I treated all of my other pokemon equally. Mightyena was given to me as a child, so I hardly ever parted with him for more than a day or two at most. Mightyena and I were tied together with a bond that happened once in a trainer's life time.

When the client arrived, we met him outside of our base. The bonus he mentioned was, after all, quite a large amount of extra money. We couldn't believe the amount he just pulled out of his pocket. And, being the people we were...

"We can't accept this much. Honestly, it's just an address. It can't be worth this much money." Neborah said before I could. While we did have a clear need for the cash, we weren't ones to swindle. Steal, pick-pocket, and trade on the black market - sure. But we were modest people when it came to our dirty work. That, at least, was something to be proud of.

"I've been searching for this man for a good portion of my life. He owes retribution to my family, and I'm determined to get it from him. Your services are much appreciated, and the money is no trouble." The man said, as if it was nothing. To him, it probably really was nothing.

The client wore a covering black cloak, a face mask and headgear to hide his appearance. All we could really see was his massive height, his green eyes and the bare amount of tan skin surrounding them. Other than that, he looked like how other clients acted - reserved and mysterious. Not to mention a little scary, but that was besides the point.

"Well, can we at least get your name so we can send something back? I truly do hate to take this much from you." Neborah persisted. She was stubborn, alright. People would have thought she was crazy, arguing about getting a load of money. But it was reasonable, if you thought about it.

The man sighed. "I suppose that's the best I can hope for. My name is Kakuzu. Anything you wish to send may be done in like manner as this procedure." He said. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I must be going. I have some important business to take care of." He said, holding up the paper with the magnate's address on it. We smiled and nodded.

"Yes, thank you very much. Good luck." Neborah said. Kakuzu nodded back and turned to disappear down the alleyway. We looked at each other, then burst out in a fit of squeals, hugging each other like mad. This money could change our lives completely! We could buy an apartment and give our pokemon a real place to live.


	3. Chapter 3: Don't Wanna Leave

On that thought, we retreated back into the tunnels, filling in our pokemon on our stroke of luck. We told them about how we could feed them properly and take care of them better. They didn't respond at first.

Mightyena stepped forward a little, reaching out and pawing the ground as he whined slightly. I furrowed my brows, crouching down to look him in the eye. I scratched behind his ear, and the sad pout he gave me darn near broke my heart.

"Hey, what is it, boy? What's wrong? Aren't you excited? We're gonna get a real home." I said, trying to cheer him up. He nuzzled my hand, lowering it until he could place his paw over it on the ground. He looked into my eyes with a deep desperation to tell me something. I thought I already knew. "You...wanna stay here?" I asked, confused. He nodded. I looked at Neborah. "What does that mean, then? They don't want to go." I said, standing and gesturing to the others, who showed the same opinion as Mightyena.

"I...don't know. I thought they'd be happy about moving somewhere better, but I guess not." She said, lost in deep thought. Then she smiled a little. "Well, this is like home to them. We've been living here for how long now? Nine years?" She asked.

"Ten." I corrected; she laughed.

"Exactly. It would change too much to move now. Besides, with the extra money, we could make this place better instead of moving someplace better." She suggested. "We could buy better equipment, make more offers and trades for better deals. We don't need a house to feel at home. This is our home." She said happily. I studied over the pokemon one last time, then nodded, smiling.

"You're right. And that's a great idea." I told her. "I mean, if we continue to get deals like the one we just made, we could turn this into a steady job. Our pokemon would continuously be training, we could certainly buy better care equipment, not to mention stuff for the actual deal-making. We don't need a whole house."

Then I crouched down in front of Mightyena again, who seemed much happier at our decision. I rubbed his head affectionately, and he ducked forward to lob his tongue all over my face. I laughed and wiped it off, halfway disgusted, but really just as happy as he was.

"That's right, boy. We're staying here. No need to worry." I reassured him, and he wagged his tail. Then I stood and yawned unexpectedly.

"Yeah, it is getting pretty late. You need to go to bed." Neborah said before her own yawn was pulled from her throat. I raised a brow, noticing the bags under her eyes.

"Yeah, just like I need a new haircut." I subconsciously ran my hand through my short black hair, which had a stubborn little tuft that refused to lay flat. "You go to sleep. You've been in front of that computer for the past three days. I'll take over for tonight." I told her, heading for the chair she'd been sitting in a while before. She watched me wearily.

"Are you sure you're up for it? It is an all-night process." She said, just waiting for me to change my mind. I shook my head.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. You need rest." I said. "Now go." My voice went all serious and commanding, but she just laughed.

"Alright, Nell. Let me know if you need anything." She said, finally heading down the tunnels toward her room. I turned to face the computer, having no trouble finding trades and deals online. We had a few people out and about that can most of our stuff that we put up for deals. They would get the information and ship it out to whoever the client was. It was very rare that we ever got a personal client, like Kakuzu, but those were only for truly important cases. Because, after all, a business magnate's address was indeed an important case. I could have just gone to jail.

Well, I could be put in jail ten times over for everything I'd done in my life, but whatever, you know?

The hours ticked by and my fingers slowly got used to the constant typing and clicking. While it had been a while since Neborah let me take over the business, even temporarily, I'd been doing this for a long time. It would be a while longer before I even started getting cramps.


	4. Chapter 4: Arrival of Henchmen

My pokemon, being the loyal ones they are, stayed up with me. Well, most of them, anyway. Skuntank had always been lazy, so he was clocked out long before the others. Houndoom and Mightyena trained quietly a little ways away, although there was the occasional fireball and shadow ball.

Honchkrow and Noctowl kept me amused with their conversations. Of course, I didn't understand them, but the sudden sounds they made would always make me chuckle. And Umbreon curled up soundly on my lap, nudging me whenever she felt like I was about to nod off.

I didn't know what time it was, but my fatigue let me guess it was some time around five or so in the morning. It was then that a frantic pounding sounded on the basement door. I jumped, scaring Umbreon, who had actually been the one to accidentally fall asleep. She jumped off, though, and readied herself, as did the others. Honchkrow had to peck Skuntank to wake him up in a fit of snores, though.

I carefully made my way toward the door down the tunnels, walking quickly because of the panicked beat. I started running after a moment, Umbreon and Houndoom right on my tail while the others stayed back to guard the computer.

I hurriedly pushed the door open when I got there, revealing a tall figure that was a mere black silhouette against the early morning sky behind him. I held my hand up to block some of the sudden light.

"Kakuzu?" I asked curiously, wondering why he was here again.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm in a bit of a mess." He said, sounding nearly ashamed, glancing back behind him as an explosion made its way to our ears. I immediately stepped up and out of the door, letting my pokemon follow before I closed it. Kakuzu led me to where the battle was raging on.

It was actually more like war. About five pokemon stood in the cross-section from last night, which was good since they couldn't yet see our hideout. Four of the pokemon had trainers shouting orders, each of which wore black suits and secluding black sunglasses to hide their identities.

The pokemon without a trainer, whom I assumed to be Kakuzu, was surprisingly a Rhyperior. Its huge figure and massive strength awed me, but I didn't gawk for long. It was obvious the other four were wearing it down, which was why Kakuzu must've come to ask me for help.

"Alright, Houndoom, take the two on the left. Umbreon, the two on the right. Help out Rhyperior and don't let them get any closer." I ordered professionally, taking the initiative. Kakuzu's Rhyperior seemed surprised, but was thankful for the help, as his trainer must be.

The two Houndoom was facing were Swampert and Vileplume. The ones on the right were Ninetails and Mismagius. This would be a challenge for both of them. I glanced back at Kakuzu.

"Go ahead and call back your pokemon. I'll handle this." I told him. He did as I said, but looked at me questioningly.

"Are you sure you can handle all four of them on your own?" He asked wearily. I smirked.

"You bet'chya." I said smugly. He didn't look convinced as he pulled out another pokeball.

"I do have one pokemon left, but he's a little rambunctious. I'd like to help, but I'm not sure if I'll assist you or be more of a nuisance." He said, studying the pokeball. I pursed my lips, thinking.

"How about this: if you see me having trouble, go ahead and hop in. But only if, okay?" I said; he nodded, satisfied. I turned back to my pokemon, who were easily fending off their opponents with intimidating growls that worked on the trainers, too.


	5. Chapter 5: Battle Unjust

"Alright, let's do this. Houndoom, use flamethrower on Vileplume! Umbreon, use bite on Ninetails!" I ordered quickly, taking the others by surprise.

The flamethrower was countered by the Swampert's powerful water gun, and Umbreon was tackled aside by Mismagius. It was true that two against four, even when pairing them up, would be difficult. I couldn't call the others right now, so I had to make due with what I had. I couldn't call on Kakuzu yet, either. Whatever pokemon he was talking about, no offense to him, but it could get in my way if it was as self-driven as he made it seem.

The trainers called their pokemon to attack. Swampert aimed a take down at Houndoom, followed by a petal dance from Vileplume. They moved together in perfect synchronization, but Houndoom had speed on his side. He dodged Swampert skillfully and used his legs to kick his opponent to the side, right into Vileplume's petals as he was launched into the air. I grinned.

"Spinning flamethrower, Houndoom!" I called as I saw the opportunity. Since Houndoom couldn't naturally learn flamewheel, I thought it would be a fun idea to train him to use this combination move. Houndoom initiated a spin in the air, releasing his flamethrower as he gained speed. The line of fire swirled into a vortex of sorts, and was, in turn, stronger than the water gun Swampert tried to use again to defend its partner.

Vileplume was blasted with the attack, immediately knocking it out as the trainer returned it to its pokeball. That left three, and Umbreon was watching herself as she dodged other attacks while I was focused on the other. In a two-v-two match, I could easily pay attention to both of them, but this was different, and unfair, although I was seeming to have no trouble.

"Umbreon, use dark pulse on Mismagius!" I ordered, knowing I had the type advantage. Umbreon ran toward the floating ghost pokemon, lunging to the left to avoid a psywave as it let loose a shadowy pulse that inflicted double damage on Mismagius. Having the huge type advantage, our opponent also fainted, leaving two on two. Alright, this is where it got easy.

Swampert was ordered to use earthquake, and it pounded its fists on the ground. A huge tremor shook the alley, but a line of cracks raced toward Houndoom, taking both of us off guard as he was tossed into the air by the force. Then, Swampert used hydro cannon, which was a good bit more powerful than any water gun. Due to Houndoom's secondary type, the attack was a lot more effective, though he still stood on wavering legs. It was apparent that my pokemon were at least a level or two higher than theirs, which seemed to piss them off.

They barely gave me time to react as the trainer shouted one more attack: aqua tail. Swampert's tail fin lit up, and he pivoted to ram Houndoom with it. My pokemon flew back, skidding to a hault on his side right in front of me. I knelt to see if he was okay, even though I knew he wasn't. He had bruises and scrapes all over him, and he needed to be cared for immediately. I clenched my teeth. How dare they.

"Umbreon! Use foul play on Swampert!" I ordered angrily, though my rage was directed solely at the trainer who'd injured my Houndoom so badly. He shall pay!

Umbreon performed the move flawlessly, ramming the larger pokemon head-on. And, thanks to the secondary effects of the move, Swampert took a load of damage, although not enough to take him out. I wasn't done just yet, though.

"Now, use iron tail!" I commanded hurriedly, giving them just as little time to recover. Even though steel-type moves were weak against water type pokemon, Umbreon was at such a high level that it inflicted normal damage. Swampert stumbled, looking worn out as it fought to stand. "One more time, Umbreon!" I said, and it used iron tail once again. This time, it was the final blow.

"Ninetails, use ember!" Said the trainer with the last remaining pokemon. Having been distracted with my satisfying victory, Umbreon was hit with the small fireballs, but only took normal damage, thanks to the neutrality of types. Still, the blasts left a few burns, and I knew that would get in the way.

"Let's finish this, Umbreon. Use bite!" I said, and she raced forward. Ninetails tried to snip at her as she neared, but her limber body and flexible skill enabled her to dodge easily, rounding to the side to sink her teeth into Ninetail's neck. The pokemon cried out, whipping its head around to try and pry Umbreon of it her. She succeeded in grabbing Umbreon's tail, yanking her off and tossing her aside. She shook it off with determination. "Now, use covet!"

Umbreon dashed forward, dodging another ember on the way. Once she was up close, she lashed out with her claws and teeth, sending Ninetails flying. Her trainer returned her to her pokeball, glaring at us angrily. I had won, even though Umbreon was on her last legs.


	6. Chapter 6: Return of the Magnate

"Step aside, boys." Said a new voice as a fifth figure approached. The mysterious men did as told, and light was shed on the face of our new guest. Oh, for crying out loud! Not this jerk again! "It seems you've become a bit of a nuisance to us." The magnate said. I narrowed my eyes, but a memory flashed through my mind at the moment.

"Oh, I just remembered..." I muttered, digging in my back pocket. Neborah had given me the wallet back after she sent the information to Kakuzu, and that was dealt with, so I held it out and tossed it to him. "Believe me now?" I asked as he caught it in surprise. He went through it, probably checking for the money. I had decided to leave it, thanks to Kakuzu's unexpected bonus. He should be grateful, though he narrowed his eyes, too.

"I don't know what you wanted with this, but you're still not off the hook. I can have you thrown in jail for two lifetimes. Do you know how important I am?" He asked in a cocky tone, making me roll my eyes.

"No, and I don't care. Anyway, I gave you your stupid wallet back, change and everything, so what else do you want?" I asked annoyedly. He gave me an evil grin.

"Payback. No one just runs off with my stuff and gets away with it. So, let's settle this." He said, retrieving a pokeball. "Go, Metagross!" He exclaimed as he released the pokemon. Its immediate glare as it came out intimidated Umbreon, and she cowered, shaking. I growled.

"Why can't you just be happy you got your freaking wallet back and move on?! Can't you see my pokemon are already hurt? What's wrong with you?!" I yelled, standing in front of Umbreon, who seemed depressed she couldn't fight. I didn't blame her, though. She did her best.

"Many things, my little thief, but this is not one of them. Now, Metagross, use hammer arm!" He commanded. The huge pokemon lifted one of its four pillar-like legs.

"Bisharp, use metal claw!"

We all looked up and to the right as a lithe figure jumped down from a low building, glowing arm raised, and blocked Metagross's move. I blinked and gaped in awe as the new arrival stood protectively in front of me, and I saw it was the aforementioned Bisharp. Someone else stood on the building, figure black as Kakuzu's had been against the sky that kept getting brighter.

"Yo, Kakuzu! Were you really just gonna let this chick get pounded into oblivion? C'mon, man, think a little." The guy said as he jumped down more carefully. I was now able to see his peculiar features. He had slicked back silver hair and strange purple/red eyes, as well as a carefree smirk on his face.

"Hn. It's about time you showed up, Hidan. I didn't want to use Rampardos, as I'm sure you know why." Kakuzu said from behind. The one named Hidan gave a hearty laugh.

"You mean to say your ass got beat by these fuckers? Shame, shame, Kuzu." He teased. Then he looked at me. "And you are?" He inquired. I cleared my throat, still in shock.

"I'm, uh, Nell. Nell Cresstorm." I said as I shook his offered hand. He let it linger for a moment before letting go, making me blush horribly. Man, was he cute.

"I'm Hidan, nice to meet you. I see you saved my friend's ass, eh?" He said, chuckling at Kakuzu's glare. I looked down and didn't answer, shy and afraid of embarrassing Kakuzu.

"Who are you? Where do you stand in the matter?" The magnate asked impatiently. We turned to look at him, and Hidan's smirk returned.

"Oh, I'm just nobody. You'll be fighting me from now on." He said confidently as he turned to fully face his new opponent. His Bisharp took a ready stance.

"No! I have to fight the girl! She must pay for her actions!" The magnate shouted, determined to hurt me more than his men already have. Couldn't he see I was already defeated? There was no way Umbreon could stand another attack. I was afraid she'd do more than faint if that Metagross got a hold of her.

"Too bad, fuck-face. You'll have to get through me, first." Hidan said, not caring that the magnate was fuming. Still, he sighed frustratedly.

"Fine, but as soon as I do, it's her turn." He said, pointing back at me. I only grimaced. I was counting on Hidan to deal with him. Still, Houndoom and Umbreon were pretty banged up. I had to get them back to the base. I turned to look at Kakuzu as the battle ensued.


	7. Chapter 7: Saved Again

"Could you carry Houndoom back to the base for me? I need to get him and Umbreon out of here so they can rest up." I said, worriedly glancing at Houndoom's unconscious form and Umbreon's barely standing figure.

"Sure. It's the least I can do." He said, gently picking up my larger pokemon, watching his horns. I slid Umbreon carefully into my arms, holding her close to my chest. They would be okay.

"Oh, no you don't! Metagross, knock Bisharp aside and stop the girl using psychic!" We heard the magnate's voice call. My eyes went wide as I heard the rumbling of the frantic movements from behind. I turned around just in time to see Metagross charging for me, body glowing as it prepared to use psychic.

"Persian, use iron tail!" Another unexpected voice commanded, and a lithe form leaped over me as its glowing tail slammed into Metagross, interfering with its attack. I turned back to see none other than Neborah running to my rescue. She immediately hugged me when she reached me, though she was careful to watch out for Umbreon. Then she pulled back and gave me a weak slap on the shoulder. "What's wrong with you? You could have been seriously hurt! You're lucky I woke up and heard the noise." She said, obviously mad. I blushed and looked down, embarrassed Kakuzu had to hear her scold me like that.

"I know, I'm sorry. Kakuzu needed help and -" The latter cut me off.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have imposed." Kakuzu said suddenly as Hidan's Bisharp continued to distract Metagross and the magnate. I looked at him.

"No! It was no trouble! I was glad to help, I just wasn't expecting the extra battle." I said sadly, knowing I had failed miserably. Still, the two older trainers looked at me.

"It's fine that you wanted to help, but you should have woken me up so I could help you." Neborah said. I nodded slowly, feeling weak all of the sudden.

"I am sorry, though. Honestly, she battled better than I ever could." Kakuzu said, trying to make me feel better. It worked a little.

"That's great, coming from you. But, I have to contribute, now that I'm here. Zangoose, Linoone, let's go!" She called back, and two more of her pokemon appeared form down the alleyway. She gave us a curt nod before running off to assist Hidan in battle. The magnate had released two more pokemon of his own: a Lairon and a Bastiodon. He really could use the help.

"Let's hurry and get these two inside to rest." Kakuzu reminded me, and we hurried off. Down in the computer room, Kakuzu and I laid the pokemon down, and mine and Neborah's other pokemon gathered around.

The two of them were in bad shape. They wouldn't recover quickly on their own. I could run down to the Pokemon Center and buy some healing spray, but that's a far run and the two were only getting worse. Umbreon had went under a few minutes ago, and both her's and Houndoom's breathing was labored.

But then, the other pokemon moved aside, letting Delcatty through. She looked meaningfully into my eyes, seeming to want to tell me something. I thought hard, wondering what she could do. Her stat-effecting moves...sing, charm, attract...there was one more...

Heal bell! That's right, Neborah had taught Delcatty heal bell just last month! Perfect!

"Delcatty, could you use heal bell on Houndoom and Umbreon?" I asked politely, and she nodded, her furry, feline lips tilting up in what I assumed was a smile. She stepped forward between Houndoom and Umbreon, closing her eyes and holding her head high. Then the four small spheres around the purple cushion of her neck vibrated, and the sound of jingle bells chimed.

She stepped back, and we waited.

Umbreon and Houndoom's eyes flickered open just a moment later. They both stood, Umbreon shaking the dirt off of her coat and Houndoom scratching behind his horn. Then they turned and tackled me.

"H-hey! Come on, that's gross!" I shouted teasingly as they licked my face. "Delcatty's the one who healed you; shouldn't you be thanking her?" I reminded them. They froze and turned their heads to look at the purple cat pokemon. Delcatty hissed and sprinted off, the two right on her tail. I accepted Kakuzu's hand as he helped me up.

Only then, when I was accidentally brought right up against his body, did I realize just how tall he was. I felt myself blush when he didn't move. For...something's sake, I took a step back, clearing my throat awkwardly.

"Um, thanks for the help." I said, rubbing the back of my neck as looked down at the ground, though it didn't do much to hide my flaming face.

"You're welcome. Perhaps we should go see if Neborah needs help, as well?" He suggested. I nodded hurriedly, glad for a distraction. Still, at the slow walking pace, it would take a few minutes to reach the door again.


	8. Chapter 8: Guests

"Is it alright if I ask why that business man owed retribution to your family?" I asked curiously. He never did enlighten us on that, even if it hadn't been necessary at the time.

"That's fine. See, Gato, the magnate, owns a family business that used to have a partnership with my great grandparents in their younger years." He said. I listened closely. "When they began to age, his family thought it would ruin their reputation for being young and active. So they fired them and consequently cost them their whole line of work. They lost everything: house, money, insurance. And it was all his fault.

"Eventually, my grandparents and parents alike decided it was a deed done wrong, and they demanded Gato's family to make atonement to our family. They refused. Soon, the law got involved, but they were able to bribe themselves out of any trouble because of their stature amoung the public. They couldn't simply arrest the people who were creating the world's most popular and modern pokemon gear and supplies.

"So, gradually, word was passed on to me, after my family thought I was old enough. I set out on my journey at the age of ten, and am now twenty-six. I've been searching for this man for all those years. That's why I was so grateful to you and your sister before. I still am. I couldn't just leave you with the little money I was required to pay. You did me a great kindness, and so I thank you entirely." He concluded, making me smile.

"You're welcome." I told him honestly, and he nodded. "You know, it's always nice to know other people's stories. There are a lot of interesting people out there. Like you." I said, though the last part wasn't meant to slip out of my mouth. He chuckled.

"I've never really thought of myself as interesting before. Please, enlighten me on how you formulated that opinion." He said jokingly, though it was clear he was hoping for an answer. I swallowed hard, blushing again.

"Well, I mean...I don't know. You act like a gentlemen, you look like someone from the Phantom of the Opera, you have this amazing kind heart and -" I cut myself off before I could ramble anymore. Still, he caught the hanging remnants of the sentence.

"And?" He questioned, waiting patiently. Could this stupid blush get any darker?

"And...I guess I...I like that about you." I said finally, taking extra care to look anywhere but at him. The following silence tortured my brain, for I couldn't read his expression, nor could even without the mask. His eyes were distant and lost in thought as we walked.

But then, we thankfully reached the door, and I quickly opened it for him. He looked up, surprised for a second, then came up, too. Surprisingly, we met Neborah and Hidan as they made their way back, pokemon and all.

"I assume you won, then?" Kakuzu inquired, seeming to have lost any of his earlier confusion, if that's what it was. Hidan laughed.

"How could you doubt us? We were on a fucking roll! You should have seen Neb's Zangoose! That battle was fucking epic!" He exclaimed excitedly, apparently still hyped. I raised a brow.

"'Neb'?" I asked unsurely, looking at Neborah. She looked away, a slight pink tint to her cheeks. Man, how come she could control her blushing like that? I had no authority over the temperature of my face.

"It's just a silly nickname. I told him not to call me that." She said, glaring at Hidan. He just grinned like an idiot. "Anyway, let's head on in, shall we?" She continued, sliding past to take over holding the door. Kakuzu furrowed his brows questioningly. She smiled. "Yes, everyone. I'm going to make lunch." She said, still waiting. They glanced at me, and I shrugged, although I was a lot more happy than I let on.

We all filed down and returned to the main room. Neborah and I led them down a few off-shoots and we arrived in the kitchen. One loud, run-down refrigerator; one crappy-ass, rusted stove; and one, broken, five-by-twelve inch microwave. Ah. I always loved eating in here. *Cough-notverysubtle-cough* SARCASM.

Neb (as I will now call her just to spite her) started making food, and the three of us sat around the crappy, run-down table I forgot to mention. I already knew of four things to put Kakuzu's money to use for. Our pokemon, all healthy and happy, came in a moment later, sitting in a line against a wall. They were waiting for their lunch, too.


	9. Chapter 9: Haha, Filler Chapter

"Say, don't you have pokeballs to keep them in?" Hidan asked, eyeing the loose creatures. Neb and I laughed at the same time.

"No, not at all. We've never used pokeballs - never had a need for 'em." Neb said, messing with pots and pans and spices and stuff. "Besides, they like to stay out and about. They know where to come home to." She said, smiling fondly at our friends.

"Huh. I never heard of wild pokemon with trainers. Is that even possible?" Hidan asked Kakuzu, who shrugged.

"See, we befriended these pokemon. They're not necessarily wild, but more like domesticated." I clarified, and they finally nodded in understanding. Neb laughed.

"You always know how to simplify things." She muttered to herself, though I smiled.

"That's because I can only understand simple things." I said logically, and they all laughed.

"You sound like Hidan here. Although the less he understands, the better." Kakuzu said jokingly. Hidan didn't seem to take it offensively.

"It's true. If I know too much about a situation, I'll wind up having doubts about my decisions. It's better just to go with the flow instead of torturing yourself in trying to understand something that probably doesn't even matter." The silver-hair said reasonably. I nodded in approval.

"Nice logic. I'll remember that." I said.

"Oh no you won't. Unlike some people, you need to have the ability to assess a situation and formulate a reasonable hypothesis on how you should initiate a plan." Neb said, setting out plates. I stared blankly at her.

"Simple things, Neb. Simple." I reminded her, and she laughed and shook her head. Then she started serving the food, and told us to dig in, although that was mostly directed toward our two guests. They didn't hesitate as the mouth-water aroma filled their noses.

Neb handed out separate foods to the pokemon, too. Mightyena, Umbreon, Skuntank, Houndoom, Persian, Delcatty, Zangoose, and Stoutland all got meat varieties. Honchkrow and Noctowl got seeds and breads, and Furret and Linoone both got regular pokemon food, since they refused to eat anything else. I honestly didn't know how they could resist the cuisines surrounding them.

After eating, Neborah made an offer for them to stay here. Originally, this tunnel system was used for run-aways, not unlike us. There were multiple other rooms that only needed to be spruced up a little for them to stay in. Kakuzu and Hidan thought about it.

"Come on, we don't have a real place to stay." Hidan told his older partner. "For one, we're less likely to be found here rather than a motel. Aaaaand..." he chimed, "it's free." That seemed to be an immediate hook for Kakuzu.

"You're right. Thank you, we'd love to stay. One room will do, if that's alright." He said politely. I rolled my eyes at his manners.

"It's fine; lighten up a little." I said jokingly. "I'll take them, alright Neb?" I said, enunciating the name, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"Fine." She growled. "I need to do some stuff on the market, anyway. You guys can just roam around after you've settled in." She said with a wave as she went back to the main room. I turned to the others, who would now be staying with us.

"You're room will be down this way." I said, gesturing for them to follow as I went down a different tunnel. They did. It didn't take long to get there, so the walk was silent. The entrance to the room was like mine and Neb's - a circular door that slid aside when you turned a wheel on the wall. Rusty and old as it was, I struggled a little in turning it.

"Let me help you with that." Kakuzu said, kindly taking over and easily turning the wheel as the door slid open. I ignored my obvious lack of strength and showed them inside, flipping an uncovered light switch. The dull, caged light overhead flickered on and lit up the room just enough to make out a new-ish bed, a small table on either side, and two three-drawer dressers. I narrowed my eyes at the twin bed.

"You sure one is okay? We do have more rooms." I said calculatingly. They shook their heads.

"We've been partners ever since I met him on my journey. We're used to it." Kakuzu said. I sighed.

"Well, if you say so. Anyway, there's a chamber with bed sheets and other necessities just across from this one. The bathroom's the first chamber down the third tunnel in the kitchen. I'll be with Neb in the main room if you need anything else." I told them, and they nodded. With that, I left and did as I said: went to meet with Neborah.


	10. Chapter 10: Let Me Go

She was hunched over the computer, as usual. I flicked her head when I reached her and stepped to the other side before she could see me when she turned her head. She looked the other way and glared half-heartedly, but then laughed.

"They settled in alright?" She asked, turning back to the computer. I sighed.

"Yeah." I said tiredly. She glanced at me again, furrowing her brows.

"Something wrong?" She asked, noting my tone. I pursed my lips.

"Don't you ever get tired of sitting in front of that computer all day? I mean, haven't you ever wanted to do something different than live underground while just barely making it by? If it weren't for Kakuzu, we would never have made this much money in five years." I told her. She turned to look at me full-on, eyes looking intently into mine.

"Nell, I understand where you're coming from. But there's nothing I can do about it. With the way society is going these days, people like us just can't make it out there." She said. "We're lucky to come across people like Kakuzu and Hidan, who don't care about people's lifestyles. But I don't expect them to stay for long." She turned back to the computer, sealing a deal before switching it off finally. She stood, and I followed her as she started off toward her room. "What brought this on, anyway?" She asked, seeming genuinely curious. I sighed.

"Well, Kakuzu told me about his journey. How that business guy, Gato, owed his family for something that happened years ago. It spiked my interest, and I thought about what it would be like if I went out on a journey." I told her. She stopped and made me stop, too, by putting a restraining hand on my shoulder. I looked at her questioningly.

"Just get those thoughts out of your head right now, Nell." She said sternly. I gaped in shock. "There is no way you can ever go out on a journey, especially not on your own. You'd never be able to make it out there." She said, completely crushing me with her words. I swallowed hard.

"Neborah...you're wrong." I said, surprising her. "I could make it out there, if I really tried. My pokemon are strong enough to win any battle, against anyone. You, of all people, should know this." I told her seriously. "Saying I can't make it is just a downright lie and you know it. So why don't you want me to at least try?" I asked, desperate for an answer. It was true; she really did know how well I could battle. She's seen it herself. And I knew Kakuzu would agree with me, since he saw me battle all four of those guys back in the alley. Neborah looked down at the ground.

"Because..." She paused, seeming to gather her words. "Because you can't leave." She said, looking back up at me. Her eyes looked dangerously moist. I tilted my head to the side.

"Why not?" I asked quietly. She sighed sadly.

"Come with me." She said, continuing to her room. I followed her inside, and she went to her single dresser, rummaging through the top drawer. I knew that was where she kept stuff from the past - things she said I never needed to know about. She pulled something out and closed the drawer, reluctantly walking back to me at the door as she clutched an envelope in her hand. "This...this is from Mom and Dad." She said, then handed it to me, even though she looked like she wanted to say more.

Giving her one last confused look, I took it and opened it, unfolding the clearly old paper inside. I read the contents carefully.

_"Dear Neborah,_  
_ You'll be far away by the time you read this. We will no longer be there to help you and Nell. Finny will take you somewhere you'll be safe, but then he has to leave, too." I paused here, for the name sounded familiar. I glanced at Neb._

"Finny was our butler. Go on." She explained in short. I returned to the letter with ever growing confusion.

_"When he does leave, you'll have to do whatever it takes to get by. Take care of Nell, and remember to keep her safe at all costs. We hate to say this, but she's far more important than you at the moment. She can never be allowed to wander alone, Neborah. Never. It's too dangerous, for both of you._

_ Make sure Mightyena and Delcatty watch out for her, too. And don't forget to feed them. By the time you're both old enough to lead lives of your own, we hope you'll be able to do so. The world is not a safe place right now, Neborah. It may never be again. For the sake of humanity, keep Nell away from the outside world. You may not understand this now, but we know you will. We love you both._  
_ - Mom and Dad"_

My eyes were wide and my hands shook as I finished reading. Mom and Dad...I barely even knew them, and they'd already made sure I wouldn't ever be able to see the real world? This small city we lived in was nothing. Gato was probably the most real-world experience I was ever supposed to be allowed to encounter.

I'd trained Mightyena, and eventually my other pokemon, too, on my own. There was the occasional battle or two during deals, but nothing like today. That was why I wasn't prepared for so many opponents. I'd only brought two pokemon, when I should have done what Neborah did and bring at least four. That was minimum for a crisis, or so she says. There had never been a crisis I was allowed to deal with, so I was unprepared. And this...this was all _their_ fault.


	11. Chapter 11: A Traitor's Savior?

"Nell?" Neborah asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I jerked away, head lowered as my whole body shook in anger. I threw the letter on the ground and ran out, ignoring Neb's shouts of protest. I sprinted down the corridors, wiping unwanted tears from my eyes. I looked up just in time to skid to a halt before running head-long into Hidan. He still had to steady me by my shoulders, though, looking at me worriedly.

"Hey, what's wrong? What's going on?" He asked, noting the tears that still fell from my eyes. I wiped angrily at them, wishing they'd just disappear already. But I couldn't help it. I cried when I was angry, and even more when I was angry and sad.

"Nothing. I'm leaving." I said with a hoarse voice as I strode past him, seeing my room just down the tunnel. He followed.

"Okay, even I'm not dumb enough to believe that. What happened?" He persisted. I balled my fists.

"My family." I growled, shocking him and making him stop for a second. But I marched on, so he caught back up, but waited at the door of my room when I reached it. I pulled a duffel bag out from under my bed and started flustering around for things to pack.

"That bad?" He asked; I nodded.

"Apparently, I was under house arrest before I even knew what it meant." I said, throwing clothes into the bag. "My mom and dad wrote Neborah a note before we were forced to leave that I was never to be let out into the real world. Which is anything beyond this goddessforsaken city and these stinky tunnels." I slowed down when I opened the top drawer of my own dresser, gazing softly down at the one thing I was allowed to keep from my past.

I gently picked up the small, plush, pokeball-shaped pillow. It opened to reveal a sewed-in message from Mom and Dad. "We Love You, From Now Until Forever. You're Our Little Savior," it read, with a little pink heart under the words. I gripped it tightly. What was that even supposed to mean? How was I a savior? I used to think it was just a cute little thing from my early childhood, but now I realized something. It didn't make any fucking sense whatsoever.

I tossed the pillow onto the dirty floor, forcing my mind to forget about it as I returned to the bag and zipped it up. I hadn't noticed Hidan approaching, and suddenly he was in front of me, deep concern in his eyes as he blocked my path from my room.

"I can see how that would upset you, but try to think clearly. Is leaving really an answer to this?" He asked quietly. I looked to the side, biting my lip. I didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"Yes." I said before stepping around him. I was surprised and a little hurt that Neborah hadn't already come down to find me. Maybe she didn't think I would just take off like this. Oh, how naive she was.

"So that's it? You're just going to leave?" Hidan asked, still following me as I made my way back to the kitchen. My pokemon should still be there, probably sleeping.

"Yup." I said simply. A small pause ensued.

"Well, then I guess I have no choice." He said finally, walking up beside me without looking at me. I glanced at him in confusion.

"What?" I asked; he smirked.

"I'm going with you." He said, and I froze in my tracks. He stopped to look at me seriously. "Well, to be completely correct, both me and Kakuzu are going with you." He said. I narrowed my eyes.

"Why? So you can save my ass next time I get in a little scrape like before?" I asked harshly. He just rolled his eyes.

"Well, if things get that bad, sure. But that's not why I want to accompany you on your journey." He said, walking on. Ignoring the fact that he now took the lead, I followed him.

"Then why?" I asked, really wanting to know now. What other reason was there than to protect me?

"Well, for one, even though I've been traveling with Kakuzu for a long time, he still gets on my nerves." He said. "Having someone else around will keep him in check. He's always so polite around other people, but with me, it's all a bunch of wise-cracks and bite-me-on-the-ass. And, for another...well. I like you." He stated, causing my head to turn to look at him in shock. He chuckled. "As a friend, don't get your panties in a twist." He elaborated. I nodded in what I hoped looked like relief. But, really, I was kind of disappointed. "Anyway, you have a sense of humor, you're already on Kakuzu's good side - which is difficult to get on, mind you - and you have a strong personality. Those are all a bunch of really good qualities, but that doesn't mean the list ends there." He said. I thought about that for a moment.


	12. Chapter 12: Religious Much?

"What if Neborah disapproves?" I asked suddenly, seeming to confuse him.

"Why should I care whether or not your sister likes it?" He shot back. I pursed my lips.

"I don't know, it's just...well, you seemed like you liked her...as more than a friend." I muttered quietly, though he caught every word. This made him laugh loudly, and I glared at him.

"Oh, come on! That's the funniest shit I've heard all day!" He said, holding his stomach as he nearly doubled over laughing. I couldn't refrain from cracking a smirk of my own. "No, you've got it all wrong, Nell. Neb's cool, but the bitch is snarky as hell!" He admitted, and I snorted. "You should have heard her during that battle with Gato. She kept trying to order my pokemon around and tell me all the stuff I was doing wrong. Of course, she was right in everything she said, but for Jashin's sake, she just wouldn't shut up!" I raised a brow questioningly.

"Jashin?" I asked curiously. He calmed down enough to give a semi-serious answer.

"Oh, that. He's the god of my religion." He said, pulling a necklace from under his cloak, which I just realized matched Kakuzu's. It was an upside-down triangle inside of a circle. Look simple enough.

"Mind if I ask what that religion entails?" I inquired. I guess I really didn't have a religion, though it was always interesting hearing about other people's religions. They were all so different and intriguing, and I'd never heard of this one before.

"Sure. Jashinism is, well...I guess it's a little complicated to explain." He said, pausing to think of his words. We reached the kitchen, and, momentarily forgetting about my main objective, we sat at the table, my pokemon sound asleep on the floor. "Okay, let's see if I can explain this right. Jashinism is a religion based on the understanding of others' pain." I blinked, leaning forward to rest my elbows on the table as I put my chin on my interlocked fingers.

"I'm interested. Continue." I said, and he chuckled.

"Alright, well. Basically, Lord Jashin is a highly misunderstood god. People think he's all about causing pain, when in reality, he's about understanding it. It's all got to do with compassion and empathy and all that, but the techniques of dedicating yourself to Jashinism throws people off a little." He said, rolling up his sleeve. I gasped when I saw the multiple cut marks there. Holy Ho-oh! He was emo! "Now, before you say anything, it's not what it looks like." He assured me, rolling his sleeve back down.

"Well, it sure as hell does look like it." I said, though I let him continue.

"See, there are certain requirements for being a Jashinist. One is sacrificing regularly to Lord Jashin. That sacrifice is meant to be in blood, and since people don't particularly like it when you cut them, it's natural to give your own blood for the sacrifice." He said. I tilted my head to the side in thought. I guess that was different than really being emo. "Another requirement is -"

"Oh, Hidan, stop. Don't burden her with your ridiculous beliefs." Said Kakuzu as he suddenly entered the room. Hidan narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, she asked, ya little prick. Don't always assume I'm forcing my thoughts onto people." He complained. Kakuzu took a seat between us.

"How can I not when that's all you do?" He asked rhetorically. "Anyway, I was wondering where you'd gone off to." He looked at me. "What happened?" He asked suddenly, and I realized my eyes must've still been puffy from my earlier, pitiful crying. I was about to answer, but Hidan spoke first.

"Personal issues. Quit being so nosey, Kakuzu." He said condescendingly, making his partner narrow his eyes, but he let it go, turning back to me.

"Is it safe to ask?" He questioned, and I gave a soft smile.

"Yeah, it's fine." I said, glaring at the smirking Jashinist. I really didn't understand what made him smile like that all the time. "Neborah and I got in a fight is all. I'll be heading out shortly." I said, standing as I probably confused him with my opposing words.

"Wait, you're leaving? Because of a fight? How serious was it?" Kakuzu persisted, standing as his eyes roamed my face. I guessed he was looking for some kind of injury that would insinuate it was more of a physical fight. I shook my head.

"I'm not hurt. Physically. Anyway, Hidan offered to come with me, but I guess that depends on whether you'd like to, as well." I said, turning to my pokemon. I carefully avoided waking up Neborah's. They'd probably go off and warn her and she'd try to stop me. Even though I would leave regardless, it was less of a hassle to do it discreetly.

"Well..." Kakuzu seemed unsure of what to say.

"You wouldn't really let her go out there by herself, would you? What if she got hurt because someone wasn't there to help her? Then everything would be blamed on you because you refused to simply accompany her as she travels to -" He cut his rambling partner off.

"I get it. But is it alright with you, Nell?" Kakuzu asked. I took a deep breath, mulling it over to really get my decision straight.

"Yes, it's fine. I'd enjoy the company." I said finally, and Hidan made a victorious "yes" noise. I smiled and shook my head as my pokemon looked at me questioningly. I turned back to them. "Guys, we're going to be leaving. We're going on a journey. I want you all to decide for yourselves whether or not you're coming with." I said as kindly as possible. They all glanced at each other.


	13. Chapter 13: Come With Me

It was a moment before Mightyena padded up to me, stopping in front of me to look up into my eyes. For a split second, I was worried he was going to refuse and stay here. But then he gave me that wolfy grin again and stood on his hind legs to put his paws on my shoulders, planting a big, wet, slobbery kiss right on my cheek. I shuddered disgustedly, but smiled nonetheless.

"Thanks, boy. I'm glad you're coming along." I said, scratching his head as he settled for sitting beside me. Umbreon was next to throw herself at me, clinging tightly to my shoulders as she curled up around my neck. I laughed. "I just don't know what I'd do without you, girl." I said honestly, scratching behind her ears and making her pur. Or, I think it was a pur. What happy sound did Umbreon make? Hmm...

Houndoom strode to my side and planted himself firmly on the opposite side of Mightyena, eyes closed and chin raised. I laughed. He was right up there with Mightyena on the faithful scale. Skuntank waddled forward, and Noctowl rode on his back. The larger one yawned, then rubbed my leg affectionately as Noctowl cooed cutely and looked up at me with those big, naturally angry-looking eyes. Honchkrow didn't hesitate to follow. I smiled hugely, turning back to grin at the others.

"Well, this was easier than I thought. Shall we head out then?" I asked, ready now that I had my pokemon. Hidan stood, a smile just as big plastered on his face.

"We shall." He said, though we turned to Kakuzu for confirmation. He sighed.

"I suppose. But what about Neborah? Shouldn't she know about this?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck worriedly. I let my expression go blank as I shouldered my bag.

"She'll find out, don't worry. Let's go." I said, turning and walking out with them and my pokemon right behind. When I stepped out of the tunnels this time, even though I'd done it a million times over, the air I breathed in seemed fresher somehow. As if all this time I'd been cramped in a stuffy old room and I was finally getting my first taste of the world outside. And, when we found our way out of the alleyways, I knew that's just what was happening.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter's so short. Just needed to get it out of the way so I could really get into the whole journey thing. Again, I'd love reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14: Pokeballs

"Uh, Nell, mind if I suggest something?" Hidan said as we walked along the sidewalks of the city. I glanced at him.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked.

"Well, now that you're leaving and all, wouldn't it be a good idea to finally get pokeballs for your pokemon?" He said; I stopped and looked back at the six of them trailing behind us. I chewed on my lip, thinking.

"I don't know. They've never been in pokeballs before, and I've never exactly caught them." I said, deep in thought. If I tried to get them into pokeballs now, would it even be possible? At their level, they could easily jump right back out. I'd need a greatball or something more powerful to catch them with, and I left most of the money back at the base. After all, I was the one leaving. I wasn't just going to take everything and leave Neborah with nothing.

"Why don't you give it a try? If they trust you, then they should stay inside." Kakuzu said, tossing me a spare pokeball of his. I caught it and examined it, looking at Mightyena questioningly. He looked back, not seeming to show any signs of protest. I shrugged, taking a deep breath.

"Okay, here goes." I said, tossing the pokeball out so it tapped his head. It opened up and sucked Mightyena inside, making me panic a little bit. Wow, that was a scary sight. Seeing my beloved pokemon just disappear like that, even if he was right there in the pokeball. Still, it shook for a moment or two, and then a minute, and then longer...

I was just beginning to worry when it finally chimed and stilled. Curiously, I picked it up, and it didn't move again. I gaped. I just "caught" my first pokemon. My slack mouth stretched to form a victorious grin.

"See? That wasn't so hard." Hidan said sarcastically, and I glared at him, holding the pokeball tightly in my hand. "Now, let's go buy some more so you can catch them all." He said, nodding a little ways down the road. I looked to see it was the Pokemon Center. We walked toward it.

Inside, they led me to the front desk, where Nurse Joy was stationed. She smiled at us. "Hello, welcome to the Pokemon Center. What can I do for you?" She asked in her usual sweet voice. I'd visited here many times to get care supplies for our pokemon before. I gave her a polite smile.

"I need five pokeballs, please." I requested kindly. She nodded and reached under her desk to pull out a bag, handing it to me.

"That'll be five dollars." She said; I nodded, pulling out the required money. Hey, it wasn't that bad. A dollar for a pokeball was a really good price. "Thank you, and good luck." She said, making give her a brief odd look. But then I smiled a little. She must know that I was leaving because of the pokeballs. Nurse Joy had seen me multiple times with my pokemon, never once seeing them captured. It was obvious that one would prefer something to make travel easier with six pokemon.

"Goodbye, and thank you, too." I said as we left. We returned to the side of the street, where I prepared to "catch" the rest of my pokemon. "Alright, are you guys ready?" I asked; they nodded eagerly. I threw the balls one by one, each being successful in the capture. Kakuzu chuckled when I carried them all in my arms.

"You realize you can minimize those, right?" He asked, amused at my ignorance. I pouted at my lack of knowledge about pokeballs and allowed him to show me how to make them smaller, and easier to carry. It was still a handful, though.

"Here, I'll be right back." Hidan said, disappearing back into the Pokemon Center. He came back out with a reasonably sized, black and blue side satchel. "This way, you can carry those and the supplies you'll need along the way." He said, handing it to me. It fit nicely over my shoulder, and the pokeballs were small enough to leave a bit of room left over for other items. I smiled.

"Thanks. Guess I still have a lot to learn, huh?" I said sheepishly as we continued in a random direction. But then I noticed we were actually heading toward a large building, where I remembered Gato worked. "Hey, Kakuzu. Did you ever finish your business with Gato?" I asked, and he blinked as if he'd just remembered, too.

"No, actually. I suppose we got a little side-tracked." He said, looking unsurely at the building as we approached it.

"Feel like finally settling the score?" I asked temptingly. He sighed.

"Only if it won't bother you to make the stop." He said, and I couldn't help the roll of my eyes. Such a gentleman.

"We're already heading in that direction. Let's go." I said, and we started off.


	15. Chapter 15: Take Off

Once we got there, we saw it would be rather difficult to reach Gato, who was most likely on the top floor. No way would the security guards let us in after our little tussle with them this morning. I gnawed on my lip as I thought. It really was a bad habit.

Then I had an idea, and released Honchkrow from his pokeball. The others looked at me questioningly. "Honchkrow knows the move fly, so he can carry one of us at a time up to the top." I explained. Hidan grinned.

"I can already tell this is gonna be fun." He anticipated while Kakuzu still seemed to be unsure of something.

"I don't know if I feel comfortable with -" Hidan cut him off with a slap on the back, which sounded in a low thud. Kakuzu glared at him.

"Come on, you old miser. Live a little." He said, turning his excited eyes on me. "Ready when you are." He said, and I laughed, looking at Honchkrow.

"Go ahead." I told him, and he lifted himself a few feet in the air. I took Hidan's arm and held it out for Honchkrow to grab with his talons, immediately taking off toward the top of the multi-story building. Kakuzu and I craned our necks until the sun blocked our vision. Hidan's whooping could be heard all the way down where we were.

"Uuuuummmm..." Kakuzu drawled, gulping loudly. I chuckled as Honchkrow returned shortly.

"Your turn." I said, and he looked worriedly at me. I could tell he was about to protest, so I set the bird pokemon on him and he was lifted into the sky as vulgar shouts escaped his covered mouth. It took a moment longer for Honchkrow to come back this time, but he now had a note in his beak, which he gave to me. I read it.

"We may need an inhaler up here." I laughed and shook my head at what must've been Hidan's writing. I was kind of worried, though, if he was serious or not. You never knew unless his joking tone went along with the words.

I was about to let Honchkrow take me up at last, but shouts coming from the ground made me look over to the front entrance. Three security guards were charging this way, their own pokeballs in hand. I knew that if I went up there now, they would surely follow us and stop us. It was better if I took care of them now so Hidan and Kakuzu could go ahead and do what they had to. I took out a pen from my duffel bag and wrote on Hidan's note.

"Ran into some trouble - go on ahead. Meet you at ground level when you're done." I scribbled quickly, giving it to Honchkrow to deliver to them. "Stay with them, just in case." I told him, and he nodded, flying back up there to deliver the message. I turned back to the guards, who were right on me now.

"You again?! Haven't you bothered enough, kid?" One of them said angrily. I narrowed my eyes.

"Not my fault he held a grudge. Now, we can settle this in a civil manner, or I can go ahead and beat you now. Your choice." I said, partially seriously as they growled.

"No way you're getting away again! We'll show you not to mess with our boss!" A different one exclaimed, and they released their pokemon. A Victreebel, Armaldo, and Scolipede. I smirked. This would be a challenge then.

"Alright, if that's the way you want it." I said, retrieving three pokeballs from my bag. "Noctowl, Skuntank, Houndoom! Come on out!" I said, loving how cool that sounded as I released the aforementioned pokemon. They all stood at the ready.


	16. Chapter 16: Money

_*With Kakuzu and Hidan*_

The two partners were worried at the note Honchkrow returned with. They wondered just what kind of trouble she'd run into, and whether or not she really could handle it. Still, it would probably offend her if they stopped what they were doing to help her. So they forced themselves to go find Gato, with Honchkrow accompanying them, probably on Nell's orders.

They entered the building through the roof door, descending the stairs until they reached the base of the top floor. There were many doors, and they could see hallways that branched off further down the one they were in. Hidan and Kakuzu randomly started walking down random halls, opening random doors. They figured this would take a while.

However, they soon came to a door with "CEO: GATO" imprinted on it. They gave each other a nod before opening the door rather loudly. The business man looked up in surprise at their entrance.

"Wha-how did you get in here?! Where's my security?!" He yelled, standing abruptly from his chair as Hidan closed the door behind them. "I won't stand for this! I'm calling the police!" He announced, reaching for the phone on his desk. Hidan simply tossed a pokeball and hit his hand away, simultaneously releasing his Scyther in the process. Gato flinched away at the menacing creature before him.

"You know what we want. Just give us the money, and we'll leave you alone." Kakuzu said darkly. Gato sneered, fixing his black spectacles.

"You must be joking. I'm not just going to hand over money to you people! I don't even know who you are!" He exclaimed. Kakuzu growled, stepping forward and making Gato take a step back.

"Oh, you don't? Then let me refresh your memory." He said. "In the year 1837, your family and my family worked together to create life-changing pokemon gear and supplies. Your family fired my great grandparents and left them with nothing. You still owe us money, Gato. Money you cost us for causing us to lose everything. So hand. It. Over." He enunciated the words menacingly, slamming his hand on the desk he was now in front of. Gato's sneer didn't falter.

"Hey, I'm sorry about your loss of cash, but you can't legally make me give you money. Besides, it's been years since then. You can't even get the law involved in this." He pointed out, and Kakuzu gripped the table with anger.

"Wrong. I have legal documentation of the event. A business this large is required to pay a fee of one thousand dollars to any partnership it drops. Read the fine print, Gato." Kakuzu growled, pulling out some papers from inside his cloak, laying them out for the magnate to see. Gato wearily picked them up, adjusting his glasses as he read. His expression became more and more worried as he proceeded to the next page, and the next. A bead of sweat had formed on his forehead when he reached the last page. His shaking hands lowered the papers back to the desk, where Kakuzu picked them up and returned them to the inside of his cloak. "Well?" He persisted. Gato licked his lips, which had gone dry from anxiety.

"I-I...there's no way I can get that money right now." He said finally, though he showed no signs of lying. "It's just not possible. It's a week-long process to transfer the money from my bank in Unova back here." He explained. Kakuzu didn't relax his fearsome position. Hidan just watched as he leaned carelessly against the wall.

"Oh, I'm sure you have money here. How else could you have afforded that hundred-dollar suit your wearing? Or those perscription spectacles? I bet you have more than a thousand in your wallet right now." He wagered. Gato gulped, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face.

"That'd be nearly completely wiping me out, though. Are you sure you can't just wait until -" Kakuzu cut him off.

"You hand over the money now, or I'll take this to court and you'll owe more than just a thousand dollars." He threatened angrily. Gato hung his head in defeat, reaching back in his pocket for his wallet.

"I understand." He said sadly, pulling out a whole thousand-dollar bill and handing it to Kakuzu. He took it impatiently.

"You're lucky. This isn't half of what you should have to pay for what you caused my family to go through." He spat before turning to Hidan. "Let's go. We're done here." He said, stalking past him and out of the room. Honchkrow had been waiting silently outside. Hidan pulled out his pokeball.

"You'll learn it's not smart to fuck with Kakuzu. Better just to give him what he wants when he wants it." He said, returning his Scyther. He had a feeling Kakuzu had scared the magnate more than his pokemon, though. He followed his partner out.


	17. Chapter 17: First Official Battle

_*Nell*_

I grunted as Noctowl was bombarded with leaves, taking out any energy she had left. That was it, then. The Scolipede and Victreebel still stood, and I was finished. These were clearly higher-level pokemon than those from before. I'd only managed to take out Armaldo, and even that required all three of them working together. I somehow weakened Victreebel a little, but it still stood tall. I still had pokemon, though. However, they didn't give me a chance to use them.

"Victreebel, bind her with your vine whip!" One of the guards ordered, and the pokemon's vines snaked out toward me at blurring speed. My eyes went wide as they raced forward.

But the attack was interrupted by a sudden fire fang attack, from none other than Houndoom, who'd been the first to be taken out. It seemed he still had a little fight left in him.

Victreebel yelped and recoiled its vines, now scorched and useless. Houndoom snarled as he forced himself to attempt to stand, though he fell back down miserably. I looked at him sadly.

"It's alright, Houndoom. You did your best. Don't worry, I'm not finished yet." I said, returning the three of them to their new pokeballs. I pulled out two different ones. "Umbreon, Mightyena! Your turn!" I said, releasing them. I knew it was against the rules to change out pokemon during an official battle, but the rules had been tossed aside long ago. I subconsciously held my right arm, still throbbing from the scratch Armaldo left there. That had been the move that caused its defeat, but it hurt nonetheless.

"You barely defeated one of us with three of your pokemon. Do you honestly think you stand any chance with just two?" The loud-mouthed one from before yelled. My eyes twitched with anger.

"Shut up and have a taste of your own damn medicine! Umbreon, use confuse ray!" I ordered, and the pokemon released an invisible pulse. She targeted the two opposing pokemon, and they became confused. "Great, now use shadow ball, Mightyena!" I said, and he did so. He was only able to attack one, so he aimed for the stronger of the two: Scolipede. Not being able to block or dodge, the attack hit head-on, though the other was still able to stand.

"This has gone on long enough! Scolipede, use venoshock!" The second guard commanded. The huge bug pokemon let loose a splash of poisonous fluid, aimed for both of my pokemon. I growled. I would have told them to jump out of the way, but the radius of the attack spread out in all directions. I felt just dreadful at the pained noises they made when the attack hit them. They weren't ready to give up just yet, though.

"That's the spirit! Mightyena, use shadow ball on Scolipede! Umbreon, use iron tail on Victreebel!" I ordered, and they initiated their own attacks. Umbreon, tail glowing a bright silver, lept over Mightyena's shadow ball, taking Victreebel off guard as she landed the blow. Scolipede had tried to help its partner, but the distraction caused it to momentarily forget about the shadow ball coming its way. Now they were both severely damaged, just as we were.

"Nell!" I turned to look at the entrance to the building, where Hidan and Kakuzu were running this way. "What's going on? What happened to your arm?" Hidan asked as they reached us. Another mention of my injury caused it to throb uncomfortably.

"These clowns, and their dirty tricks. I'm fine, though, I have this all under control." I told them confidently as I returned my focus to the battle.

"Scolipede, use poison sting!" One guard yelled, and the pokemon shot dangerous needles from its body.

"You can dodge this one! Don't let it touch you!" I commanded, and they did as I said, twisting with their flexible bodies to successfully dodge the poisonous needles.

"Victreebel, use leaf tornado!" The other ordered, and his pokemon let loose a barrage of leaves in our direction. The attack hit before I could do anything about it. They were just barely standing, for the attacks they were receiving were so much stronger than their own. But this still wasn't over - I was still in the game.

"Let's finish this, guys. Mightyena, use take down on Victreebel. Umbreon, finish Scolipede with foul play!" I told them. They each charged their instructed targets with amazing speed; Mightyena hit Victreebel head-on, knocking it back a few feet, and Umbreon's pounding made Scolipede lose its balance, as well as take them out. They lay motionless on the ground, and their trainers reluctantly returned them to their pokeballs.

"Why you little brat! You'll pay for this!" They declared angrily, I simply recalled my own pokemon.

"You guys did good. Have a nice, long rest now." I whispered to the pokeballs, knowing they could somehow hear me, before putting them back in my new bag. I turned coldly back to the guards. "Look, we got what we came here for, so we'll be leaving. This was one battle I didn't enjoy." I said as Hidan, Kakuzu and I strode around them. The younger of my new partners gave me a playful slap on the back.

"Hey, that was awesome! I gotta admit - you got some skills." Hidan said proudly, and I smiled.

"It's not something to be surprised about, but thanks anyway." I said sarcastically. The rest of the walk was in silence, but it wasn't at all uncomfortable. My arm did begin to act up again, though.

"Let me take a look at that." Kakuzu said suddenly, stopping and taking a light hold of my wrist as he knelt in front of me. I couldn't stop the blush from crawling back on my face as he examined my arm. "I have something to help, but it's going to sting a little." He continued, pulling something out from inside his cloak. It was medicine spray. I yelped when he sprayed it onto my arm, but calmed down once a soothing numbness took over. I smiled at him.

"Thank you, it feels much better." I said honestly. He nodded and returned the spray to his cloak.

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**Sorry I've been a while, guys! Needed some inspiration, and boy did I get some. Just wait until the next chapter :P**


	18. Chapter 18: Johto League

We started off again, and I took note that we were walking along a path that led out of the big city. I didn't say anything as we continued walking, but it turned out I didn't have to.

"Well, now that that's all good and done, what do you suppose we do now?" Hidan asked, casually interlocking his fingers behind his head.

"Dunno. Really, the only reason I traveled was to find Gato and get the money he owed. I hadn't really thought past that." Kakuzu said thoughtfully. "Although, now that we have Nell along with us, we could start anew. How's that sound?" He suggested. I smiled a little.

"Perfect, really, but one question." I said; they waited. "What all is there to do?" I asked, and Hidan laughed.

"Tons of stuff." He said with a wink.

"Hidan..." Kakuzu said in a warning tone, only making the Jashinist laugh more.

"Chill out, Kakuzu, you're reading too far into things. I just meant that there's a whole lot to do in the world of pokemon." He said, then turned back to me. "Anyway, one of those things is entering a League." He told me.

"A League?" I asked, not really sure what that meant.

"Yeah, a League. Since we're in the Johto Region, that'll be the Johto League." He explained.

"Well, how does it work?" I asked.

"Well, there are eight gym badges you have to collect before you enter the Johto League. There are pokemon gyms all over the region for trainers to battle the gym leaders. If you win the battle, you get the gym badge." Hidan said. "Then you just present them at the sign-up for the League and you're in. There's a big reward and a high chance of fame if you win the Johto League." He added. I mulled it over for a bit.

"Sounds like fun! Where's the nearest gym?" I asked eagerly, finally deciding to go ahead with it. Kakuzu pulled out a map from his cloak.

"In Violet City." Kakuzu said. "Luckily, that's the next town over. We should be able to follow this path and arrive there by tomorrow morning." He predicted. I chewed on my lip for a moment.

"Tomorrow morning? Meaning we'll have to spend the night somewhere?" I asked unsurely. He nodded.

"That's right. Don't worry. I'm fairly certain there's an inn somewhere along this path." He said reassuringly, and I nodded in relief. I'd never stayed anywhere but mine and Neborah's hideout. It would be different, especially without her there. But I felt safe with these two, even if I'd only known them for a short while.

Eventually, the path led us into a forest. A dark one, at that. Though it might've just been because it was getting late out. Still, the trees seemed bigger somehow, morphing in with the shadows. My imagination formed scary faces in the leaves and branches, as if they were watching my every move, just waiting for the moment to strike.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, then looked at Hidan questioningly. He kept his eyes forward. "Try not to give it much thought. This forest likes to play tricks on you." He said quietly. I nodded, though I wasn't quite sure what he meant. The forest likes to play tricks? What was that supposed to mean?

Like he said, though, I tried not to pay much attention to the images moving past me as I walked. At times, I'd think a branch or a root is reaching out to grab me, but Hidan's hand never left my shoulder. He would always give it a squeeze when he sensed me getting worked up, even the slightest bit. For that, I was thankful.

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**Okay, haha, change in plans ;P The NEXT chapter will make it have been worth the wait. Somewhat. Oh well, you'll get what I give you :P**


	19. Chapter 19: Temptation

It was already dark out by the time we reached the inn Kakuzu mentioned. We walked in, only to find the reception counter empty. Kakuzu rang the bell.

"Hello? We'd like to check out a room." He called calmly. No answer. But then, something appeared in front of us. Like, literally, just appeared. I squeaked and jumped back, only to have Hidan put his arm around me.

"It's alright. It's just a ghost pokemon." He whispered reassuringly. I nodded, feeling pretty darn grateful that he always somehow knew how to calm me down. I realized, after studying it, that the pokemon was a Ghastly, nothing too scary, really. I sighed in relief.

"Is there a receptionist available?" Kakuzu asked the Ghastly; it shook its head/body, then made a series of noises in its pokemon language. Kakuzu pulled out a small, palm-sized, rectangular device, along with a pen. He started tapping the screen with the pen and drawing lines, though I couldn't seen what it was doing.

"It says that the receptionist is on vacation and left it in charge." Kakuzu explained.

"How do you know what it's saying?" I asked curiously, thinking it had something to do with that device of his. He held it up for my eyes to see.

"It's a Pokemon Translator. Comes in quite handy in times like this." He explained, turning back to the Ghastly. "Could we check out a room, then?" He asked the pokemon, translating its response. "It says that we're the first to check in for a while. We can use the first room down the hall." He told us. "Thank you, Ghastly." He said respectfully, and the pokemon nodded, disappearing into thin air again.

I followed the them down the hallway, and into the first room. The first thing I noticed was the bed arrangement. Well, at least there was more than one. But only two wasn't much better.

"Decisions, decisions..." Kakuzu muttered to himself, closing the door behind us.

"It's fine, she can sleep with -" The elder cut Hidan off.

"I don't think Nell would appreciate getting kicked in the shins in her sleep." He said sternly, and Hidan hung his head as he turned to take a bed. "I'll just sleep on the floor." He said dismissively. I blinked.

"Oh, no, don't make me do that to you. Take the bed." I said kindly, sticking my sling-pouch and duffel bag against a wall corner. He glared at me half-heartedly.

"I've slept on floors plenty of times. Besides, you're a lady, you need your beauty sleep or whatever." He said. I raised a brow and put my hand on my hip, resting my weight on one leg.

"Trust me, I've slept in worse places. And the last thing I want is beauty sleep." I told him stubbornly. He tilted his head to the side.

"You're an odd one, you know that?" He asked rhetorically. I scoffed.

"So I've been told." I retorted. We simply stood and stared at each other for a few minutes while Hidan got settled in his bed. Finally, he sighed heavily.

"Well, I won't have you sleeping on the floor." He said, taking my bags and putting them atop of the chest at the end of the empty bed. I furrowed my brows, though I was fairly certain where this was going.

"You want to share?" I asked curiously.

"Are you going to let me sleep on the floor?" He asked.

"No." I answered immediately.

"Then yes." He said, answering my original question. I gaped for a second, then smiled, shaking my head. My, the man was just as stubborn as I was. That was rare.

"Fine, whatever. Just let me sort some stuff out first." I said, moving to my stuff on the chest. He shrugged and stepped away, beginning to remove his clothes. Or, his headgear, to be precise. As I moved some smaller things from my bag to my satchel, I watched him out of the corner of my eye, curiously waiting to see what exactly he was hiding under that mask of his.

I couldn't help but stare when he did take it off. Starting from the corners of his mouth and stretching to the edges of his face were stitches. Like, as if his jaw was being connected to his head by them. I blinked, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating or something.

"Kakuzu...I hate to sound rude, but how did you get those?" I asked as gently as I could. He glanced at me before looking down, as if he didn't want to meet my eyes.

"Unfortunate run-in with a pokemon." He muttered quietly, almost shamefully. I stood up and walked over to him, carefully taking his face into my hand and making him look at me. He tensed in what I supposed was shock, but I just wanted to get a closer look at his face. The rough texture of the stitches under my fingertips made a shiver run down my spine, though I wasn't sure why.

"What pokemon?" I asked, wondering how exactly this was possible. He should have died with a disconnected jaw. The stitches seemed to run back back his black hairline, so I couldn't tell if it went all the way around or not.

"Salamence." He said in short. I was finally brought back to reality when his hand caught my wrist, slowly lowering it from his face. "I understand if you don't want to be around me now." He said, looking away from me again, though he didn't let go of my wrist. I blinked in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I want to be around you?" I asked, causing him to look back at me in shock. "Really, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It looks...nice." I said, having a bit of trouble thinking of the right word. I glanced down, and saw that he'd shed his cloak, too, leaving him in a gray tank-top that showed off his nice muscles. His bare arms were riddled with the same stitches, and I could only assume the rest of his body looked the same.

"It was an angry Salamence." He explained without me having to ask. I chuckled a little, but found myself busy tracing his stitches with my free hand, unable to get used to the strange feeling of them. It wasn't a bad strange, though, definitely not. It sent another tickle down my back, one that I rather enjoyed.

I looked back up when he took that hand, too. He was looking at me intently now, carefully backing me up against the wall. My heart-rate increased tenfold, and I looked up into his deep green eyes, getting lost in their intensity.

"Nell...can I try something?" He asked, his voice just above a whisper. I nodded, not trusting my voice to form proper words at the moment. He leaned in slowly, his hot breath tickling my ears as he neared them. He lightly traced his lips along my jawline, just barely brushing over my own when he reached them. He stopped just a centimeter away, and I could feel his heavy breath as he tried to steady it. "You're too tempting..." He whispered huskily.

Then he pulled away completely, surprising me. His chest rose and fell with deep pants, as did mine. For a moment, I worried that Hidan might've seen all that, but his suddenly loud snore indicated that he was sound asleep. Thank goodness...

We didn't say anything as we climbed into bed together. We faced each other, staring into each other's eyes for a moment before I couldn't keep mine open anymore. Honestly, I was incredibly tired. and Kakuzu's body was just so warm, I cuddled into it, feeling his arm drape gently over my body. It didn't take long before I passed out in his comforting embrace.

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**Mwahahahaha! Suspense! But you love me :P **


	20. Chapter 20: Checking Out

Waking up was peaceful enough. The only thing wrong was that the bed was cold - I was alone. I cracked an eye open to see an empty room, too. Hidan wasn't in his bed, either. I sat up and looked around, confused as to where they'd gone. Honestly, it didn't seem likely that they'd just up and left me, but there was always the possibility.

I yawned and stretched, trying not to give it much mind. I got up and went through my duffel bag, pulling out a change in clothes. I went into the walk-in bathroom to change and fix my hair, though that annoying little tuft refused to cooperate.

I left the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. Now that there was nothing to do, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to my two new comrades. Where had they gone, and would they be back soon? I wasn't sure if it was safe to leave the inn just yet without them. Heading back into that forest at the moment didn't register particularly high on my "want" list.

I looked up as a knock sounded on the door. Curiously, I went to answer it, not seeing anybody standing there. Then I had the mind to look down, and saw one of those ghost pokemon - a Gengar. Its immediate appearance threw me off a bit, but I crouched to its level regardless.

"Hello. Is there something you need?" I asked politely, remembering how Kakuzu had talked to the Ghastly before. Even if they creeped me out, I didn't want to take the chance of being rude and slamming the door in its face.

The Gengar held its hand out, and I saw it held a folded piece of paper. I gingerly took it and unfolded it, beginning to read.

_ "Nell,_  
_ We're down at the breakfast bar if you wish to join us. We'll be heading out shortly. - Kakuzu&Hidan."_

I smiled a little and nodded, standing up and folding the paper back up. "Thank you, Gengar." I told the pokemon, who nodded back and disappeared into thin air like the one before. I grabbed my stuff and went down the hallway, having to guess for myself where to go. Since there was only one other hallway, I went down that one.

I was rewarded with the heavenly scent of freshly baked biscuits and pancakes, along with some sausage. I followed my nose and arrived in a sort of dining hall, except the buffet was lined with breakfast foods. Kakuzu and Hidan were sitting at a lone table near the entrance, and I went over to them.

"Hey, get a good night's sleep?" Hidan asked, sliding an already made plate over to me. I nodded, my mouth nearly watering at the sight of the food before me. Living in an underground maze of tunnels and getting paid off the black market didn't exactly offer the best meals. This would be the first proper breakfast I'd had in years.

"Violet City is just at the end of this forest. We should stop by a Pokemon Center before your gym battle to make sure your pokemon are completely healthy." Kakuzu said, having already finished his plate. I realized he's put his headgear back on, and frowned a little. Really, why did he hide his face all the time? It seemed like a sin to keep such handsome features hidden from the public eyes, even though I'd never say that aloud. Especially not with Hidan around. I still wasn't sure exactly what had happened between us last night, but I knew it had to have been something good.

"About that. Isn't there some sort of registration or something she has to go through to be eligible to take place in the Johto League?" Hidan asked. Kakuzu blinked his eyes like he'd forgotten something.

"That's right, I forgot about that. Only official trainers can participate in the Leagues." He said thoughtfully, glancing at me. "Looks like we'll need to get you registered at the Pokemon Center, as well. Shouldn't be too much of a hassle." He theorized. We just nodded and left it there for now. I wasn't entirely certain what registration meant, but I figured it couldn't be too bad.

After finishing our breakfast, we returned to the front desk, where the Ghastly reappeared. We checked out and set on our way. As expected, the forest was just as spooky during the day than it was at night. Sure, the shadows weren't nearly as life-like, but I could swear I heard suspicious noises.

Still, the end of it came sooner than I thought, though I was thankful for it. We entered Violet City, and I was taken aback by the sight. It was different than the city I'd known most of my life. That place had skies clouded with smoke, environmentally hateful cars, and not to mention the horrid smokers. Tall buildings were what made up that city, but Violet City was completely different.

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**Sorry for the slow updates, guys! I'm working on two stories at once, and the other one seems to be doing a lot better than this one right now. Perhaps, maybe, possibly, in theory...some reviews might help? \(*u*)/**

**Seriously, I haven't gotten any reviews on this story, but I really like it and I really want to continue it. Even a simple "please update!" would suffice, just to let me know that you guys really do want me to continue this story.**


	21. Chapter 21: Getting Started

This city seemed more nature friendly, and had homey-looking buildings instead of tall skyscrapers. There was one tower in the distance, though, the beam of which seemed to tilt and wobble, though the building itself stood still.

"What do you suppose that is?" I asked curiously, pointing in the direction of the tower.

"That's Sprout Tower. The inner-most support beam wobbles on its axis, like how a Bellsprout would walk." Kakuzu explained. I nodded, and we continued forth. There was a Pokemon Center just ahead, so we stopped there first. "Right, so first thing we need to do is get you registered as an official pokemon trainer." Kakuzu said as we approached the front desk. I was utterly shocked to see Nurse Joy there.

"Hello, and welcome to the Violet City Pokemon Center. What can I do for you?" She asked, her voice matching the Joy's from the previous city. I gaped.

"Wait a minute, I thought you worked at the Pokemon Center in Trial City." I said questioningly, although it just made her chuckle.

"You must be talking about my mom's sister's uncle's brother's nephew's daughter's aunt's second cousin's niece." She said. My jaw remained slack. "You see, there are Nurse Joy's all over the place. We're one big family business." She said proudly. I took a breath and nodded, knowing I had no chance of following the family link between her and the one from Trial City.

"Anyway, we were wondering if you could register Nell so she can qualify for the Johto League." Kakuzu continued, ignoring the exchange. Nurse Joy nodded with a smile.

"Are you a beginning trainer?" She asked, pulling out something from under the desk.

"N-" Kakuzu cut me off.

"Yes, she is." He said, looking sternly at me. I gave him a what-the-hell look, but he just shook his head, a clear "I'll explain later".

"Alright then. You'll need this Pokedex. I'm afraid you'll have to enter the personal information yourself." Nurse Joy said, handing me a small device. I flipped it open and saw a screen and a few buttons.

"Initiating Default Pokedex entries." The device said in a robotic voice. "Default Set one: voice delta A. Default Set two: reset all pokemon entries. Default Set three: no trainer information." It listed.

"You can go to settings to add the information you need." Nurse Joy said, handing me something else. "This is just a case to help carry your gym badges, which you'll need to present in order to enter the Johto League." She explained as I took it. "And that's all you need. Once you've entered your information, you'll be identified as a beginning trainer." She said cheerfully. I nodded and we went to sit in the lobby as I figured it all out.

I went to settings and started filling out information as it spoke the steps. "New Voice Set: Delta W." It spoke in a female British voice, so I decided to keep that. "No new pokemon entries. Set Trainer Information: Name - Iranella Cresstorm." I blushed as it spoke my full name. "Age - Eighteen. Current Pokemon: Six - Mightyena, Houndoom, Umbreon, Skuntank, Honchkrow, and Noctowl. Space for one more pokemon." It said. I smiled. That was nice. "Entering six new pokemon entries..." It began to list my pokemon and their abilities, their levels, etc.

Apparently, Mightyena was already level fifty-five. Houndoom wasn't far behind at level fifty. Umbreon was next up at level forty-fix, then came Honchkrow at level forty-two. Skuntank followed up at level thirty-nine, and Noctowl came in last at level thirty-seven. All in all, they were a pretty good team.

"That's basically all there is to it, then." Hidan said, standing from his seat. "Oh, wait! There's one more thing." He said suddenly, darting away from us. He went to one of the computer systems lining a small section of the wall, beckoning us over. We came over and he turned the computer on. He guided me to sit in the chair in front of it. "You'll need a set point of access in case you ever get into trouble. A base, if you will.

"Basically, it's somewhere you can contact for proof of your identity. And you can even use it to keep your inactive pokemon safe when you have them in your active team." Hidan explained. "Now, just give me a second, and I'll hack into the main data base of Neborah's computer back in Trial City, giving us access to her mainframe..." He muttered, more to himself as his fingers flew across the keyboard. Images, letters and numbers flashed on and off the screen, so fast I couldn't keep up with them, although he apparently could.

When he finally stopped, a window popped up with an image inside of it. I gaped, recognizing the person's face. "Neborah?" I asked incredulously, leaning forward to get a closer look. Yup, that was definitely her.

"Nell! Ohmygosh, I've been so worried!" My sister practically screamed through the camera. "Where are you? Where did you go? Are you alright? What about your pokemon?" She asked, flinging relentless questions at me. If I could, I would have put my hand over her mouth. Unfortunately, this was happening via webcam, so there wasn't much I could do.

"Alright, Neborah, calm down. I'm perfectly fine, and so are my pokemon. I'm with Kakuzu and Hidan in Violet City." I told her with a small smile.

"Kakuzu and Hidan are with you? Did they talk you into this? Where are they? I need to talk to them." She growled angrily. My two new companions backed out of sight from the webcam, and I chuckled.

"They had nothing to do with me leaving, Neborah, don't worry. They're helping me. I decided to leave on my own." I told her, my smile fading just a little. She frowned as she listened. "I wanted to get out and see the world for myself. I don't want to stay cramped in those tunnels all my life. And, so far, I'm really enjoying my journey." I said, glancing back and smiling at Kakuzu, who turned away slightly. If I didn't know any better, I could swear the tint of a blush peeked out over his concealing mask. But oh well.

"Nell, I'm sorry if I upset you. I was only trying to protect you, and I really want you to come back home." Neborah said, her voice full of sorrow. I sighed sadly.

"I don't want to come back home, Neborah. Look, I miss you, I do." I assured her, though I had to cut her off before she could say something. "But this is my chance to really do something with my life, and I'm not letting it pass me by." I said stubbornly. She sighed and nodded.

"I understand, and I guess I have no choice but to let you, since you're already gone." She said, chuckling a tiny bit. "But, what did you call back for? Did you need something?" She asked.

"Uuuuhhhhh..." I glanced back at Hidan, who sighed and stepped into view of the camera.

"Hey there, Neb." He said with a teasing smile, which she rolled her eyes at. "Look, Nell's been registered as an official trainer, and she needs a base location." He told her. She seemed to understand immediately.

"I suppose that would be kind of necessary. But why set it up here?" She asked curiously.

"Well, Nell's lived there for most of her life, right?" Hidan questioned; Neb nodded. "Then it's perfect. She'll be able to trust you with her pokemon and information. As long as you think you can handle it." He said tauntingly. She stuck her tongue out.

"Of course I can. But I'm afraid I don't have the right equipment for this. I'd need a pokeball transporter." She said, seeming to move stuff around on her desk as if looking for something. "I don't really know how much one would cost..." She mumbled, still looking.

Suddenly, a pink figure popped up beside her, making us both flinch. It was just Delcatty, though, except she seemed to be carrying something in her mouth.

"Oh, thank you, Del! Just what I was looking for!" Neb said, graciously taking the envelope from her prized pokemon's mouth. "I still have the bonus money Kakuzu left me. Do you think that would cover it if I bought it legitimately?" She asked as Kakuzu stepped forward from behind me.

"If I remember correctly, that should be more than enough." The secluded man said. "There should be one available at the Pokemon Center near you. Stop by the Pokemart and ask for one." He told her. Then he started fishing something out of his pocket. "Contact me via Pokegear." He said, then proceeded to tell her his phone number. Neborah nodded as she logged it somewhere on her computer.

"Alright, will do. I have to go now, but Nell?" Kakuzu backed up to let me see her again. "Please be safe on your journey. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." She said, her eyes pleading and worried. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"No worries, Neb! I got these guys here with me; I'm perfectly safe." I told her with a grin.

"They're the reason I'm worried." She said teasingly.

"Oi! Don't you trust me?" Hidan asked incredulously, though that just made us all laugh. Neborah gave one last goodbye before logging off, so I did the same.

"Alright. She should call me when she gets the pokeball transporter set up." Kakuzu said, pocketing his pokegear. "For now, we can move on. Nell, why don't you go back over to Nurse Joy and have your pokemon healed before we set out." He suggested. I nodded and rushed back over to the nurse's desk.

I gave her the pokeballs and she put them in an indented tray. Then she put that in a capsule of sorts and turned it on. It buzzed and lit up for a moment before she took them back out and handed them to me.

"There you go! Your pokemon are fully healed and ready to go!" She said cheerfully. I smiled and thanked her before heading off toward Kakuzu and Hidan, who seemed to be having a private conversation. I didn't feel comfortable eavesdropping, so I cleared my throat, sufficiently silencing them.

"Shall we head out now?" I asked, walking ahead of them out the door, though they followed quickly. I started walking down the street, but quickly found out that I had no idea where I was going. I slowed down my stride to walk next to Kakuzu, who chuckled and pulled out a map.

"The Violet City gym is just up ahead. We should reach it by the end of this street." He told me. I nodded, and took a deep breath. This would be my first gym battle, and as long as I kept my cool, I shouldn't have any trouble with it. Or so I thought to myself.


	22. Chapter 22: Gym Leader Deidara

We walked into the small lavender tower, admiring the decor as we wandered through the halls. We found a set of stairs, in front of them standing whom I presumed to be the gym leader. He had vibrant blonde hair with bangs that covered the left side of his face, with a small bit tied back in a high ponytail. His eyes were a cerulean shade of blue, and he wore a smirk that would lead one to believe he wasn't afraid of anything.

He had on a mesh undershirt and a gray vest, along with some regular blue jeans with a sash-pouch as a belt. His black converse shoes reached his knees, the laces being white.

"Welcome to Violet Gym. Are you challengers?" He asked expectantly. Kakuzu cleared his throat.

"Not us, but she is." He said, gesturing to me. Inwardly, I complained that I could speak for myself, but I didn't voice it. After all, I hadn't a clue as to what to do in this kind of situation. Might as well let the pro's handle it.

"Well then, my name is Deidara, and I'm the Violet City gym leader." The blonde claimed proudly, his smirk not wavering. "Follow me, and we'll begin our match." He said, motioning for us to follow as he turned and started up the stairs. We did without hesitance, although I was feeling pretty shaky. I wondered if I could remember all the rules of battling and not make a complete fool of myself. My panicked mind thought so, but I wasn't too sure...

We climbed the circular stairs until we reached the top, leading us out onto a sky deck battle arena. Deidara took his position at one end, leaving the other white-lined square for me. I looked at my two companions worriedly.

"Don't worry, you'll do great. Strong, witty girl like you could take this chump on easily." Hidan said, jerking his thumb in Deidara's direction as he failed to even try to quiet his voice. The gym leader cleared his throat, but didn't comment. I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. Wish me luck." I said as I started toward my end of the arena.

"Good luck!" Hidan shouted supportively, making me chuckle a little. I took a ready stance as a referee appeared on the field, two differently coloured flags in his hands.

"This will be a three-on-three battle between gym leader Deidara, and challenger Nell Cresstorm." He announced. I figured he must've gotten my name from somewhere in the data files transferred from the Pokemon Center when I signed up as an official trainer. "Only the challenger may substitute pokemon, and the winner will be decided when all three pokemon of one trainer are defeated. Begin!" He announced, waving the flags down. Deidara and I both reached for pokeballs as he retrieved his from his sash-pouch.

"Let's go, Togekiss! Show 'em why we're on top!" The blonde exclaimed as he tossed the ball. I rolled my eyes at his confidence and threw my own pokeball.

"Come on out, Honchkrow! We'll teach this chump not to let his guard down!" I declared as our pokemon were released. I blinked my eyes as I studied the gym leader's pokemon. I'd never seen it before, and I curiously pulled out my pokedex and pointed it at the white bird pokemon.

"Togekiss, the peaceful bird pokemon. It is known to avoid conflict amoung civilization, but will not hesitate to defend its home or loved ones." The device said. Huh, interesting. I noticed that Togekiss was now logged in with my own pokemon, and I smiled. One step further to filling it out, I guess.

"Challenger attacks first." Deidara told me, his smirk firmly holding its place on his prideful face. I gave my own smirk, my confidence matching what his own seemed to be.

"If you say so. Honchkrow, use night slash!" I ordered. My dark pokemon lunged forward, one of his wings sparking with a dark power as he slashed at the Togekiss.

"Togekiss, use extreme speed!" Deidara commanded as the bird pokemon obeyed. The pokemon suddenly disappeared, causing us both to look around in shock. It reappeared right behind Honchkrow, getting behind his guard. "Now, use aura sphere!" The blonde told it.

Togekiss formed a glowing ball of power from its beak-like mouth, aimed right for Honchkrow. It shot the energy sphere toward my pokemon, hitting home with a devastating blast. But Honchkrow quickly regained himself, even if slightly damaged. Or majorly damaged, I couldn't tell. He had always been stoical.

"That's the spirit, Honchkrow! Now, use dark pulse!" I told him fervor. My pokemon rose into the sky a few feet, spreading his wings as his body glowed with the same dark light. That power was released in a circular diameter, aiming to engulf Togekiss in it, which it did. Deidara's pokemon was blasted with the attack, sending it falling to the ground.

"Come on, Togekiss! We can't give up so easily!" Deidara coaxed. Togekiss complied, getting right back up in the sky, facing my own bird pokemon. "Now, use sky attack and finish this round off!" He ordered. Togekiss let out a high-pitched cry of sorts as it soared higher in the air, then descended toward Honchkrow with amazing speed.

"Counter it with night shade, Honchkrow!" I commanded, worried for my pokemon's well-being. He obeyed the order and formed an energy orb from his beak, much like Togekiss's aura sphere, except with the same dark energy he had been using.

The sphere, instead of being hurled toward Togekiss, lashed out with a dark electrical current of sorts. Togekiss flew right into it, blocking its sky attack as it fell to the ground defeated. Deidara ran to his fallen pokemon, caressing it in his arms as the referee announced my victory for round one.

"That's alright, Togekiss. You did your best and I'm proud of you." He commended, returning it to its pokeball as he stood. "I'm impressed. Not many trainers have beaten Togekiss so easily. But I assure you, you won't be so well off with my next pokemon." He declared, readying another pokeball. "Go, Mandibuzz!" He threw the ball, and a new pokemon appeared. Also unfamiliar with this one, I pulled out my pokedex again, pointing it at the second bird pokemon.

"Mandibuzz, the scavenger bird pokemon. It attacks weakened prey with its talons and decorates itself with the bones." It said. While this didn't tell me much about how well I could defend my pokemon and such, it was a cool little fact. I put the device away and prepared for another battle.


	23. Chapter 23: Intruders!

"Alright, Honchkrow. You up for round two?" I asked, still pumped from my first victory. He gave an eager screech and I smiled as Deidara held a finger to his ear. "Alright then, use tailwind!" I told him as he executed the attack. He spun in the air and sent a powerful gust toward his opponent using his tail.

"Mandibuzz, you use tailwind, too! Then follow up with fury attack!" Deidara ordered his pokemon. The vulture mimicked Honchkrow's first attack, sending an identical gale toward the one coming for it. I gasped in surprise as they cancelled each other out.

However, not being prepared with another attack, Mandibuzz was able to fly right towards Honchkrow, slashing with its talons using fury attack.

Honchkrow stumbled back, slightly dazed. Deidara didn't miss a beat, though. "Now, finish it off with air slash!" Mandibuzz rose into the air before shooting down toward Honchkrow like meteor, its beak seeming to become sharper as it gathered momentum.

While my pokemon was unable to move, Mandibuzz landed the powerful blow. Honchkrow cried out and skidded backwards on the ground, landing right at my feet. I crouched to his level and lifted his head worriedly, seeing his eyes already closed. But he was breathing, so I figured that was a good sign. I sighed and returned him to his pokeball, giving it a small kiss that I hoped he would feel somehow. He'd done a great job, and deserved a nice long rest.

"Alright, now I'm serious. Let's go Skuntank!" I exclaimed as I released the new pokemon from its ball. The evolved skunk-like pokemon emerged, seeming happy to be out and about again. Truthfully, I hadn't used him in many battles recently. He deserved a chance to show his skills, which I knew were vast. Deidara just laughed.

"How is that walking stink bomb going to stand a chance against a powerful pokemon like my Mandibuzz? You must be joking!" He said, still full of his self confidence. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'll show you! Skuntank, use smokescreen!" I ordered. My pokemon did as told and blew smoke from his maw, sufficiently masking him from view of Deidara and his pokemon, and vice versa. Skuntank could see through the smoke, though, which put us in the advantage. "Now, use acid spray!" I told him. I couldn't see how he attacked, but I knew it must've hit from Mandibuzz's pained cry.

As the smoke cleared, we were both able to see the blonde gym leader's grounded bird pokemon, steaming from its feathers. Deidara growled angrily. "Alright, I see you do have some promise. But don't get cocky! Mandibuzz, use pluck!" He commanded his pokemon.

Mandibuzz raced towards us on the ground, surprisingly quick for being such a large pokemon. But not quick enough.

"Skuntank, don't let it get close to you! Use poison gas!" I said hurriedly. Skuntank released the odorous fumes from his backside, and I had just enough time to cover my nose as it engulfed the surrounding area. I couldn't say the same for Kakuzu and Hidan, though, whom I heard coughing up a storm from their vulnerable spots on the sidelines. Fortunately, Deidara was in the same situation with his Mandibuzz. "Now, attack with sucker punch!" I said into the gaseous ridden arena.

The sound of the attack hitting home made its way to my ears, and I grinned inwardly. There was no way I was opening my mouth with this stench loitering around me. Still, the gas cleared slowly, revealing the scene before us. Skuntank, immune to the effects of its own gas, stood tall whilst the Mandibuzz had fallen on its back, its eyes rolling around in its head in a dizzy manner.

"Round two goes to challenger Nell!" The referee said, like the first time. Deidara had finally lost his smirk, and looked more determined.

"You're right, it's time to get serious. I refuse to let myself lose to a beginner like you!" He exclaimed, pulling out the pokeball that belonged to his pokemon. "Mandibuzz, return-!" He was cut off as something suddenly landed on the field, raising a bunch of dust and causing us to cough as we waited for it to clear.

When it did, we were able to plainly see a big aircraft machine. The haul looked like a miniature ship, whilst the "mast" was really a balloon shaped like a big red cloud. The door to the haul opened, and three figures stepped out - two human and the third a pokemon I didn't recognize.

"Well, well, looks like we got here just in time." One of the people - the boy - said. He had short-cut white-blue hair and purple eyes, his turtle-neck short-sleeve shirt matching in shade. He also wore light gray Capri pants with a dark brown belt that held two water bottles on each hip, along with some black sandals.

"Oh, shut up, Suigetsu! We would have gotten here sooner if it weren't for you and your water breaks." The girl told her partner. She had shoulder length red hair that was teased outward on one side, her eyes a similar pink, although she wore glasses. She wore a light purple long-sleeve jacket that was unbuttoned near the bottom to reveal just a little of her stomach. She also had on black short-shorts and thigh-high black boots.

"Yeah, yeah, quit nagging me, Karin. The point is, we're here. So let's not waste any more time." The one apparently named Suigetsu said.

"Who are you?" Deidara asked sternly. "You are intruding during an official match, and I demand to know why." He elaborated. The two chuckled.

"Oh, no reason. Just here for your pokemon, is all." Suigetsu said, eyeing the Mandibuzz still zonked out on the ground. "This one'll do nicely." He said thoughtfully, leaning down to pick it up.

"Hey! That's my pokemon! You can't just take it!" Deidara shouted, running toward the intruders.

"Well, we are, so deal with it. I think we'll take that one, too." Karin said, pointing toward my Skuntank. I growled and balled up my fists.

"Not a chance! I won't let you take our pokemon!" I yelled at them. Who were these people? And why were they trying to steal our pokemon?

"Oh, too bad so sad. Sasuke! Deal with the brat, will you?" Karin said to the mysterious pokemon with them. I hurriedly pulled out my pokedex so I could get an idea as to what it was.

"Luxray, the electric cat pokemon. Its eyes can see clearly through walls to find hidden objects or living things." The device said. I gulped. That pokemon could see through tings? What an ability!


	24. Chapter 24: Team Taka?

"Alright, listen here, brat." The Luxray said, making my eyes go wide. He could talk, too?! "We're taking these pokemon, and I suggest you don't interfere. Got that?" He growled. I swallowed again, but regained myself. No matter how odd this situation was, I needed to protect my pokemon, and Deidara's.

"No way! These are our pokemon!" I told the Luxray named Sasuke as I pulled out Noctowl's pokeball. "Go, Noctowl! Help us out!" I said, releasing the owl pokemon. He appeared tall and proud in front of Sasuke, surprising the offending pokemon.

"Fine, if you wanna play it that way." The Luxray growled, his fur bristling. He didn't have to announce his attack as he shot lightning towards Noctowl from his star-shaped tail.

"Noctowl, use agility to dodge it!" I ordered, and my pokemon shot into the air, narrowly avoiding the lightning. "Now, use hypnosis!" Noctowl's eyes glowed blue, and an invisible current shot towards Sasuke.

But the Luxray's eyes suddenly shone red, and somehow blocked the attack without doing anything else. Noctowl froze and fell to the ground, somehow caught under his own hypnosis. I looked incredulously at Sasuke.

"What did you just do?" I asked, running to my incapacitated pokemon. Sasuke let out a growl that sounded faintly like a chuckle.

"One should never reveal one's secrets." He said before turning around to face my Skuntank, who was busy fending off Karin and Suigetsu's net with fury swipes. I gaped as Sasuke used the same lightning attack and caught Skuntank off guard, causing him to fall limp. Suigetsu and Karin were able to get the net around it now.

"No! Leave him alone!" I shouted, quickly returning Noctowl to his pokeball as I ran toward my other pokemon. The Luxray whirled around to face me, threatening me silently as his tail crackled with electricity. I reluctantly froze, unable to do anything as they pulled Skuntank and Mandibuzz onto their aircraft ship.

"Go, Rampardos!" A deep voice suddenly called out.

"You, too, Kabutops!" Added another. Two pokemon suddenly appeared in front of me, facing Sasuke. Their trainer's joined my side a moment later, and I sighed in relief. So I guess it was a good thing Kakuzu and Hidan joined me after all. However, unable to stop my curiosity, I pointed my pokedex at their pokemon, too.

"Rampardos, the hard-headed pokemon. It has a stone-hard head that can bash through nearly anything." It said before moving onto Hidan's pokemon. "Kabutops, the ancient pokemon. Said to have gone extinct over ten thousand years ago, leaving little to be known about it." Was all it could give. I furrowed my brows. An extinct pokemon? Then how did Hidan have one?

"Don't worry, Nell. We got your back." Hidan reassured me. I mentally shook my head to dismiss my skepticism and nodded, allowing them to take over the fight.

"Two against one, huh? Doesn't seem very fair to me." Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Yeah, well stealing someone's pokemon isn't fair, either, ass-wipe!" Hidan yelled angrily. "Kabutops, use ancient power!" He commanded. His pokemon raised its scythes into the air as glowing balls of power circled around it. Then they all converged in front of it, and launched at Sasuke.

The Luxray dodged easily by jumping out of the way. Then he opened his mouth and gathered surging electricity. He shot it towards Kabutops.

"Quick, use harden!" Hidan said; Kabutops's body gleamed with a hardening lamina, shielding its body as the powerful electricity connected with it. Sasuke growled.

"You people are really starting to piss me off." He muttered. Then he dashed forward, his body crackling with lightning as he charged Rampardos instead. He gave an enthusiastic roar as he leaped into the air, doing a 360 as he swing his electrified tail down on the black and blue pokemon.

He was taken aback, however, when Rampardos bit onto his tail. The huge pokemon swung his head, taking Sasuke along with it as he tossed the latter into the air. "Great! Kabutops, use aqua jet now!" Hidan ordered. The supposedly extinct pokemon obeyed as it shot a jet of water from its mouth, aimed right for Sasuke.

It hit dead-on, sending Sasuke flying back to the air-ship. Deidara was in the middle of his own battle, using a new pokemon to try and get to Suigetsu and Karin. But there was now a glass dome concealing their air-ship, blocking any and all attacks Deidara threw at it.

I pulled out my pokedex again to see what his new pokemon was. "Braviary, the brave bird pokemon. This pokemon will battle fiercely to protect its friends, and will not stop fighting until it has won." It said. Wow, a brave bird indeed. Which only made sense, seeing as how it was continuously ramming the glass with its beak.

Sasuke was zonked out on the other side of the dome, having been shut out by his teammates. He seemed to come to then, and turned to look dizzily at his predicament. He shot up and starting clawing at the ship.

"Hey! Let me in! You shut me out!" He yelled to the trainers. Suigetsu looked curiously out at the Luxray, then glanced at the Braviary just waiting for an opening. He gave Sasuke an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but we can't open it without getting mauled by that pokemon." He said as Karin joined his side.

"Yeah, we got the pokemon we wanted, though. Don't worry, we'll come back for you. Maybe." The redhead said with a chuckle as they both turned away.

"Hey, wait a second! You can't just leave me! Hey!" Sasuke shouted, jumping on his hind legs as the air-ship lifted. Mine and Deidara's pokemon were unconscious in the net they had caught them in, and I let out a frustrated grunt.

"They're getting away! We have to stop them!" I said, although I doubted anyone was thinking anything different. I pulled out Mightyena's pokeball, even though he wasn't a flying pokemon. The ship hadn't gotten too far up yet. "Mightyena, quick! Use fire fang to put a hole in their balloon!" I told him as he was released from his pokeball. He executed the attack as soon as he was out, dashing towards the air-ship with great speed.

Mightyena lept into the air with a burst of strength, lifting him high enough to bite onto the red cloud shaped balloon. Not only did it pop a hole in it, but it set fire to the rest. The two crooks inside seemed to freak as their aircraft crashed back down on the balcony of the gym.

The force of the crash landing caused the glass dome to shatter, leaving glass everywhere. Deidara's Braviary took the opportunity to swoop in and grab the nets with our pokemon with its talons, much to Suigetsu's and Karin's displeasure. The pokemon gently laid them on the ground before turning back to attack the surprisingly well-organized criminals.

"Aaaah! Wait a second! You don't have to-argh!" Suigetsu's protests were cut off as the Braviary flew into him, causing Karin to let out a high-pitched scream.

"Sasuke! Help us!" The redhead pleaded to the Luxray that had stayed seated the whole time. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why should I? You were just going to leave me here!" He accused hatefully. Karin let out an exasperated sigh.

"I said we'd come back for you! And besides, what were we supposed to do? That thing was going to steal our stolen pokemon back!" She told him, her voice still pleading. She gasped when the Braviary turned on her, leaving Suigetsu laying in the haul with dizzy eyes. "Sasuke, please!" She begged once more.

Sasuke sighed and climbed aboard, glaring daggers at the Braviary, who charged him head on. His eyes glowed red like before, and Deidara's pokemon spontaneously changed course, heading towards us instead. My eyes went wide as I froze in shock.

"Braviary, return!" Deidara called out suddenly as the bird pokemon was sucked into its pokeball. I let out a relieved breath, nodding my thanks to the gym leader, who nodded back before turning to face our new opponents. "What kind of attack was that, anyway?" He asked sternly. Karin was busy pressing a bunch of buttons and pulling levers while she spoke, seemingly unconscious of what she was really telling us.

"It's a trait he gained from his heritage. A new kind of power, you could say." She said distractedly. Then she jumped and squealed as something popped up in front of her - a transparent screen with a face on it.

"Karin! Suigetsu! What's taking you so long?" The person asked angrily. He had slightly long, spiky orange hair and piercing red eyes. The redhead female flustered for an explanation before giving up.

"We ran into a little trouble. These little brats are stronger than we thought." She told him honestly. "Jugo, we have to abort this mission. We're heading back to base now." She said, pulling more levers and pressing more buttons.

"Fine, but I can't promise you Madara won't be cross with this. He specifically said to get those pokemon at any cost." The ginger named Jugo said. Then his screen disappeared, and Karin sighed before turning to skewer us with her eyes.

"You haven't seen the last of us. Team Taka will be back, and we will get your pokemon." She declared, confusing us. But then the air-ship kind of sucked in the deflated red cloud balloon through its rear, spouting out a new one from the front. We simply watched as it rose up again, rockets ejecting on the back sides and shooting off into the sky.

We had no time to dwell on that "Team Taka", for Deidara and I ran to the net with our pokemon still inside. We opened it up to let our pokemon stretch, since they'd been confined in such an uncomfortable position. Deidara's Mandibuzz still seemed pretty weak, but that was due to our battle. Skuntank was just recovering from Sasuke's electric attack, but otherwise seemed fine.

As I returned my pokemon to his pokeball, I wondered why Team Taka would need these specific pokemon. If they'd been planning on getting here sooner, they would have intruded on the battle between my Honchkrow and Deidara's Togekiss instead. Was it possible that they only meant to get any of our pokemon, not just these specific ones? And, if so, how did they plan on getting both mine and Deidara's pokemon in future? I wouldn't be here forever.

"Come on, we should get them to the Pokemon Center to heal." Deidara said; I nodded and Kakuzu, Hidan and I followed him through the city, back to where we'd first arrived.

* * *

**So how's the story so far? I hate to be mean, but I refuse to update this story until I get some reviews! Seriously, people, just one? Uno? Ichi? Por favor? Shite kudasai?**


	25. Chapter 25: ABPT

**~I'm back, I'm back, I'm finally BACK!~ Thanks to Black Dragon Mistress for being the very first to review and making me oh-so-happy! I've been waiting a lifetime to update this story and now I finally can! Last update was on 5-18-13, so you realize how long it's been.**

**Anyway, I've set up a rubric for how this shall continue:**

**1 review = 4 chapters. The next three chapters are part of this reward, so don't forget to review! T_T**

**And that does not mean make the same person review over and over again. No.**

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The four of us sat in the lobby while our pokemon were being treated. We went ahead and brought in all of our pokemon, just in case. We didn't want any of them at less than their best if something else were to happen.

"So, we'll pick up where we left off in our battle, right?" I asked Deidara hopefully. He smiled and nodded.

"Right. I can't wait to see who'll win this. I have a feeling it's gonna be intense." He said good-heartedly. I nodded in agreement.

"Hell, after seeing your pokemon, I'm starting to have doubts of my own." I said sarcastically making him stick his tongue out teasingly, which I returned.

"So I take it you're heading to Azalea town after this, right?" He asked inquisitively. Kakuzu pulled out his map, and nodded in confirmation.

"That's the nearest town. That's where the Hive Badge is, correct?" He inquired, putting the map away.

"Sure is. The gym leader there, Shino, is really into bug pokemon, just to give you a heads up." Deidara said. "Actually, Shino and I used to be really close friends. I wonder how he's doing these days..." He trailed off in thought. "Man, I'd love to go visit him some time. It's been years since we saw each other last." He said. Hidan furrowed his brows.

"Shino...Shino..." He pursed his lips as he thought. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" He asked to anyone in general. Kakuzu snapped his fingers as he seemed to come to a realization.

"Shino Aburame! Son of Shibi Aburame. His family was world famous for being top class bug pokemon tamers." The masked man said. Hidan smiled as he seemed to remember now.

"Ah, that's right! The Aburame Bug Pokemon Tamers. ABPT, for short." Hidan said. "I remember going to one of their shows a while back, long before I met this old fucker." He said, jerking his thumb at Kakuzu, who glared as if he was tempted to rip his thumb off his hand. "So little boy Shino became a gym leader, huh? Nice." He commented in approval.

"Hey, you're right. I totally forgot about what his family did." Deidara said. "Actually, I think they still do shows and stuff. As a matter of fact..." He trailed off as he pulled something out of his back pocket. It was a small pamphlet with the acronym "ABPT" on the front. "Just as I thought. There's a show going on in two days." He said, handing the pamphlet to Hidan. I leaned over his shoulder to get a good look at the description.

"Come one, come all, to the Aburame Bug Pokemon Taming show in Azalea Town! Witness amazing stunts and tricks pulled off by none other than the father-son duo, Shibi and Shino Aburame! Hurry now, tickets are only available until the day before the show!" It read. Well that sounded interesting.

"Huh. Maybe we could try to see it when we get there, hmm?" I suggested as Hidan returned the pamphlet to Deidara, who replaced it in his back pocket. Hidan shrugged.

"Couldn't hurt. Who knows? Maybe Blondie here could tag along, too." Hidan said. Deidara narrowed his eyes.

"Don't call me that." He said. "Anyway, if it wouldn't be a bother, I'd love to join you at least until after the show." He agreed with a smile. Kakuzu sighed as he thought it over, leaning away from the puppy-dog eyes all three of us were sending him.

"Oh, alright. Just as long as it doesn't slow us down." He said finally. Hidan and I high-fived, and grinned back at Deidara.

"Excuse me, but your pokemon have all been healed and are ready to go." Said Nurse Joy as she appeared in the lobby. A big, round, pink pokemon followed her with a tray of pokeballs on its head and one in both of its hands. Finding the pink thing atrocious, but interesting regardless, I pulled out my pokedex.

"Chansey, the egg pokemon. She has a very compassionate nature and loves helping sick or injured pokemon." It said. Well, no wonder she was helping out in a Pokemon Center. A pokemon like that would sure be useful for healing other pokemon.

We all took our pokeballs and left with a sincere thank you. Then we made our way back to the Violet Gym, and up to the balcony. Someone must have cleaned up the glass that had fallen all around, which made it easier to continue our battle.

"This battle will resume where it left off. Gym leader Deidara's pokemon, Togekiss and Mandibuzz, have both been defeated, whilst only challenger Nell Cresstorm's Honchkrow has been defeated." The referee said. "Her last pokemon used was Skuntank, but she can substitute it with another pokemon if she so wishes. You may begin!" He waved the flags, signalling for us to start.

"I hope you don't expect me to go easy on you now. Go, Braviary!" Deidara exclaimed, releasing his pokemon from before. I sighed in frustration. I remember my pokedex saying that it would battle non-stop until it had won. I hoped I would be able to prove that theory wrong.

"Not a chance. Come on back, Skuntank! We can finish this up right here, right now!" I said, returning him to the field. He seemed happy to be given a second chance, and I smirked in satisfaction. Finally, we could end this battle, once and for all.

"You can go first again, if you think you stand a chance at beating my Braviary." Deidara taunted. I scoffed.

"Alright, but you'd be making a big mistake." I told him. "Skuntank, use smokescreen!" I ordered quickly, not giving my opponent a chance to react. I figured, since this strategy had worked the first time, it would surely work again. Aside from Skuntank's ability to see through the smoke, everyone else was left with zero visibility.

"Ha! That won't work this time around. Braviary, use whirlwind to clear the smoke!" Deidara told his pokemon. I had to shield my eyes as the smokescreen was batted from the area by a powerful gust of wind, courtesy of Braviary's strong wings. "Now, use aerial ace!" He commanded before I had time to think of my next move.

His Braviary rose high into the sky, poising itself as its body suddenly started glowing faintly. Unfortunately, that distracted me as it dove downward and toward Skuntank. Crap, even if I were to tell him to dodge, he was admittably too slow to get out of the way of such a quick attack. I had to think of something, and fast.

"Uh, Skuntank, use...explosion!" I decided finally, although I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth. But there was no stopping it now. Skuntank's body lit up as he gathered power, letting Braviary get close enough before he went off.

His explosion shook the entire arena, blinding me for a second as the burst threatened to knock me off my feet. But I held my ground as the energy died down, allowing us to see what damage had been done.

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**Three more chapters to come! Hold on tight!**


	26. Chapter 26: I Win

Skuntank's body was now covered in char, but he shook it off, only slightly injured. See, explosion was like a double-edged sword. It harmed both him and his opponent, although to a much greater degree for the latter. Still, it made me feel bad for telling him to use such an attack. I rarely ever used it unless we were in a dire situation. I wasn't quite sure if this could be counted as such.

Deidara's Braviary, however, lay motionless on the ground. Just as I figured the referee was going to call the match, it stirred. I gaped in awe as the bird pokemon shook its head and wobbled onto its two, taloned feet. It still looked determined, though, leading me to believe the pokedex had been right to some degree.

"Quick thinking, I'll give you that. The blast from that explosion caused Braviary's attack to backfire. Impressive." Deidara praised. I shrugged it off like it didn't matter, although I was really giddy on the inside to have been complimented by a trainer of his stature. He chuckled as if he could tell what I was thinking. "Fine, act like you don't care. Braviary, use sky drop!" He ordered quickly.

Due to Braviary's incredible speed, it was able to latch onto Skuntank with its talons and lift them both into the sky. I gritted my teeth. How was he able to catch me off guard so easily? Once they had reached a certain altitude, Braviary simply let go of Skuntank, and he came hurdling toward the ground. I bit my lip as I thought. None of his attacks could spare him or lessen the damage, but there was one thing...

"Skuntank, put your tail under your stomach!" I shouted spontaneously, and he did as I instructed, revealing his back as he tucked his tail under his body. A bit of dust was lifted upon impact, and I coughed as it cleared.

I smiled when I saw that Skuntank had, in fact, cushioned his fall by landing on his big, bushy tail. He returned it to rest on his back as he stood up on slightly shaky legs. He wouldn't be able to last much longer, so I'd have to end this quick.

"Now, use poison gas!" I told him hurriedly. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Hidan and Kakuzu covered their mouths along with me as the arena was filled with the stinky gas. I guess even Kakuzu's mask couldn't filter out the stench.

"Not this again. Braviary, use whirlwind to clear the gas away!" Deidara told his pokemon, much like last time. I felt the wind begin to clear away the gas, but I wasn't done just yet.

"Skuntank, hurry and use night slash!" I commanded, seeing him rush forward as fast as his short legs could carry him as the faint curtain of gas was blown away. He lept into the air, just high enough to lash out at Braviary with his claws, which had gone a dark purple as he slashed.

Braviary let out a bird cry as it fell to the ground, whilst Skuntank landed safely on his feet. Now Braviary was severely injured, but so was my pokemon. They were both still able to stand, although I figured this match could go either way now.

"Alright, let's get this over with. Braviary, use fury attack!" Deidara ordered his pokemon. The bird dashed forward on its feet, spreading its wings and taking flight when it had gained enough speed. Then it brandished its talons, aiming for Skuntank. I tried telling him to dodge, but it was too late. Even in the state that it was, Braviary was just too fast.

Skuntank skidded to stop just before me, completely unconscious. I sighed as I returned him to his pokeball, realizing I still had one pokemon left. I still had a chance, even with Braviary's determination. Now that my pokemon were fully healed, they would be on the top of their game, while Braviary was at its limit.

"Fine, you asked for it. Umbreon, I choose you!" I exclaimed, throwing the new pokeball. She appeared on the field, immediately taking on a fighting stance. Deidara seemed surprised, for whatever reason.

"An Umbreon? Now where does a beginner trainer get a pokemon like that?" He asked, seemingly more to himself than me. "Come to think of it, that Mightyena of yours is pretty high level, too. Someone who just became a trainer recently couldn't have acquired pokemon like that so early on." He said, then narrowed his eyes. "So what's your game?" He asked skeptically. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"More to the point..." I hinted, gesturing to the battle. He didn't relax his now cautious position.

"Fine, but you owe me an explanation once this battle is over." He claimed. "But, for now, Braviary! Use peck!" He shouted, but I was prepared this time.

"Umbreon, use iron tail!" I ordered as Braviary came charging at Umbreon, flying just above the ground as its beak started glowing. Umbreon raced forward to meet Deidara's pokemon halfway, her tail glowing just the same. She whirled around to clip Braviary on the head, counter-acting its peck attack. The bird lost balance on its wings, falling to the ground and skidding off to the side. Man, I really had to love Umbreon's iron tail. Given her petite size, she could really pack a punch.

The referee checked Braviary, then rose a flag in my direction. "Braviary is unable to battle! Challenger Iranella Cresstorm is the winner!" He declared after confirming that Deidara's pokemon was unconscious. He returned it to its pokeball and approached me, along with Kakuzu and Hidan.

"Holy mother of Jashin, that was one hell of a battle." Hidan commented with a grin. Kakuzu hit him upside the head.

"Watch your mouth. You curse way too much." He scolded before turning to me. "He's right, though. You completely earned the victory." He told me, making me blush a little. Last night was still foremost in my mind, and I wondered if something like that could possibly happen again...

"Congratulations, Nell." I was pulled from my thoughts as Deidara held his hand out to me. I shook it with a smile, then looked down as I felt him slip something into my hand. I looked at it to see it was a small pin of sorts, shaped kind of like a pair of wings. I gaped as I realized what it was.

"Hey, this is the Zephyr Badge!" I exclaimed, holding it gently in my palm. They laughed at my ignorance, although I couldn't blame them. Sometimes, my mind was just a tad bit slow.

"Sure is. And it's yours, fair and square." Deidara said with a proud smile, which darkened as he continued. "Now you need to tell me who you really are." He said seriously, making me sigh. He sure was persistent, if nothing else.


	27. Chapter 27: Neb's Boyfriend

We wound up heading downstairs to talk in a living room of sorts. The couch and chairs were comfortable, and a served us tea (I nearly dropped my cup when I saw the pokemon - clowns scare the shit out of me). Once we were settled in, Deidara demanded an explanation.

"Alright, alright. Well, to begin with, I didn't start dealing with pokemon when I became a trainer." I told him as he listened intently. "I got my first pokemon around when I was two or three, which would have been fifteen to sixteen years ago. That was when I got Mightyena, since he was already evolved.

"I grew up with my sister, Neborah, in the tunnels under Trial City. That's where we made deals in the black market. And where I met these two." I said, jerking my thumb at Kakuzu and Hidan, who nodded in agreement. Deidara leaned back in his chair as he listened, sipping from his cup of tea. "Over the years, I befriended the pokemon I have now. I didn't actually catch them in pokeballs until yesterday, when I became an official trainer." I explained. I waited patiently as he seemed to mull it over in his head.

"So wait, you dealt in the black market?" He asked incredulously; I nodded. He just stared at me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then." He said, sounding like he accepted the fact, making me chuckle a little. "And you just happened to stumble upon these pokemon in Trial City?" He asked.

"Well, it's more like they stumbled upon me." I said, putting a gentle hand on my side pouch as I reminisced in the memories of meeting them all. "Somehow, they had all come to my rescue sometime or another, and that's how we became friends. I guess our bonds just grew over time, and it was like they already belonged to me before I really caught them." I said, catching myself before I rambled on too much, though I figured I was a little late.

"Interesting...And these two, where do they fit in?" He asked, pointing toward Hidan and Kakuzu. I smiled at the thought.

"Kakuzu was one of Neborah's clients, and we met up when he paid us personally. Actually, he was the whole reason I decided to set out on my journey." I said with a smile, seeming to surprise the elder as he choked and sputtered on his tea.

"I was?" He asked, taken off guard. I chuckled a little, handing him some napkins.

"Sure you were. When you told me about what got you started on your journey, I realized that I wanted something like that, too." I told him. "A little more action, sure, but all the same." I teased. Nobody could say anything else, for a sudden chiming noise filled the room. Kakuzu reached into his cloak to pull out his Pokegear, flipping it open as he answered it like a phone.

"Neborah?" He said into the speaker. That put us all on edge, minus Deidara, since he didn't know who she was. "Oh good, you have the pokeball transporter set up, then?" He asked, pausing for a moment. "Then everything is settled. Nell can report back to you now." He paused again. "Sure." He handed the device to me, and I took it unsurely.

"Hello?" I asked like the moron I was.

"Nell! How is everything? How did your gym battle go? Did you win? How are your pokemon doing? Are you remembering to feed them?" She shot the questions at me.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, give me a second to say something." I said sarcastically as she quieted down. I glanced at Deidara, and mouthed silently, "Can I get some pokemon food?" He nodded with a chuckle and went off to get some. "First of all, I'm fine, and so are Kakuzu and Hidan, in case you were wondering." Hidan rolled his eyes, making me laugh a little. "And yes, I won the battle. My pokemon are doing just fine." I said, watching as Deidara sat some bowls down with pokemon food in them. I hurriedly released my pokemon from their balls and let them have at it.

"Oh, good! So you have your first badge, then?" She asked hopefully; I smiled.

"Sure did. I'm one step closer to being qualified for the Johto League." I told her proudly. She sighed on the other end of the line.

"I'm glad you're doing so well. I hate to sound pessimistic, but I honestly didn't think you had what it took to be a real trainer." She said sadly. I furrowed my brows.

"Well, why not? You've seen me battle; you know what I'm capable of." I told her, making her sigh again.

"Yeah, but that was only in controlled situations. I didn't know how well you'd be off in a real battle." She said. "But now I know I was worrying over nothing. I guess I was just letting what Mom and Dad said get to me." She added, as if it was nothing. But that caught my attention.

"Neborah, can you tell me what that letter meant now? I know I kind of ran off before you could explain properly, but I really do want to know." I said. "Why did we have to go into hiding and live like we were?" I asked, desperate for an answer.

"Nell, I'd really love to, but I, uh, I'm kinda in the middle of...something." She said before whispering something in the background. I heard her yelp, but not like she was in pain. More like a surprised yelp. My lips turned up in a knowing smirk.

"Is Benten over there with you?" I asked, barely able to conceal my giddiness. She flustered for an excuse, but I could hear Benten's chuckling in the background. Benten had started out as just another client, but he and Neborah got to know each other. Oh yes, they got to know each other well. "No worries, Neb. You can tell me some other time. I'll leave you to your, uh...business." I said before ending the call. I could just picture her red face and Benten laughing.

"What was that about?" Kakuzu asked as I gave him back the Pokegear. I just shook my head, still smiling.

"Oh, nothing. Just Neb's boyfriend." I said, giggling a little. He and Hidan glanced at each other, but shrugged it off. "So, what should we do now?" I asked, leaning forward to touch my hands to my feet for no particular reason. I was still hyped from winning that match. It sure took longer than expected, but it was so worth it. And now I had a Zephyr Badge to prove it.

"Well, we could start off toward Azalea Town, but it's getting pretty late out." Kakuzu said, nodding toward the clock. Oh, wow, it was already ten o'clock. On that note, I let out a huge yawn, stretching and popping a few tense joints.

"You're right. We should all get a good night's rest. If you'd like, you could stay here tonight." Deidara offered, standing up. I furrowed my brows.

"You live here?" I asked curiously; he nodded.

"Yeah. Being a gym leader takes its toll on you, ya know?" He said nonchalantly. "Anyway, there are a few rooms on the second floor you can use. will have breakfast ready in the morning, and then we can head off." He said. We all nodded and thanked him before heading up the stairs. He stayed on the first level, so I figured his room was down there, too.


	28. Chapter 28: A Curious Touch

**WARNING: LEMONY-GOODNESS IN THIS CHAPTER! ENJOY!**

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We peeked in a few of the rooms to see they were all styled pretty much the same. One dresser, one bathroom, one bed. Hidan walked right into the first one he looked at, closing the door behind him with a yawn. I hesitated in the doorway to the room I was considering. Nothing special about it. Just the one bed, and how it would feel if Kakuzu lay in it with me...

I gasped lightly when I felt hands on my hips, turning my head to see who it was, though I already had my suspicions. As I expected, it was Kakuzu, but that didn't stop my heart from racing. He stepped closer to wrap his arms around my waist, pressing my back against his chest and causing heat to rush to my face.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked quietly, bringing his head near mine to nuzzle my ear, making me shiver as my breathing quickened.

"Sure." I just managed out. Kakuzu guided me inside, without changing our position too much, and closed the door behind us. I stopped him halfway inside, turning around in his arms to face him. My eyes locked on to that troublesome mask of his. "I wanna try something." I suddenly blurted out, not able to control my tongue.

He nodded slightly, and I reached up to tug at his mask, pulling it down to reveal his handsome face. I couldn't stop my hands from tracing those stitches again, biting my lip when I felt him shudder slightly under my touch. I breathed a little heavily when he started tracing invisible lines on my back with his hand, swallowing hard to keep my mouth in check. Although I doubted my voice could work at the moment.

Acting on instinct, I leaned forward on my tip-toes, gently pressing my lips to his, instantly melting into the warm, rough texture as he kissed back. He lightly ran his tongue along my lower lip, silently asking for entry. I shyly allowed him in, completely inexperienced in this sort of thing. It was surprising enough I'd brought myself to finally kiss him.

Kakuzu's tongue explored every inch of my mouth, swirling around my tongue as I gingerly fought for dominance. Due to my lack of such in this situation, he easily won, pressing my body more securely against him as his hand traveled up to entangle itself in my hair. Correspondingly, I brought mine up to wrap around his neck, feeling like I was floating with bliss.

He suddenly lowered his other hand to my thigh, lifting it up to curl around his waist. I yelped quietly at this, but didn't really mind. I simply brought my other leg up, gaining more confidence as he guided me through the motions.

I felt him start walking, then he lowered me gently onto the bed, looming over me as we had to break the kiss for air. I gazed into his green eyes, mine half-lidded with what I shamelessly knew as lust. I saw a mirror image of that emotion in his eyes, causing my body to tingle in anticipation. Only then did I feel a certain bulge poking at my inner thigh, making my already deep blush darken.

Kakuzu moved his lips to my neck, sucking lightly on my pulse-point and making it more and more difficult to gather my breath. His hand roamed down to my leg, holding it against his side as the other found my breast. An unexpected moan escaped my lips at the sensation of his groping hand, squeezing and tweaking my nipple over my already thin shirt.

Being the impulsive, curious girl I was, I experimentally brought my hand down to his waist, slipping through the gap in his cloak and between his legs to rub the erection confined just under his pants. He moaned into my neck, immediately grinding into my hand. I gave a cautious squeeze, feeling him shudder at the attention his member was receiving. Feeling confident with myself, I slipped my hand past the waistband of his pants and boxers, gripping his member firmly. I started pumping him slowly, and I felt his hot, quick breath on my neck.

He returned his lips to mine, kissing my fiercely as I continued to work him. He sucked my tongue into his mouth as he moved his hand under my belly-shirt, fondling my sensitive breasts again. His other hand skillfully found its way to my Capri, sliding between my own legs to rub at my damp core. I gasped into the kiss, accidentally squeezing his hard member from surprise. This only made him growl in need, though, which further excited me.

I felt pre-cum leak from his cock, lubing his shaft and my hand as I quickened my pace. I rubbed my thumb over its head, gently teasing the slit and making him groan into my mouth. As if in response to my actions, he hurried to move his hand past my pants and panties, easily finding my wet folds as he ran a finger through them.

He broke the kiss as I moaned loudly, not a care in the world for if someone were to hear. Kakuzu used his free hand to lift my shirt up and over my head, before lowering to take a pert nipple into his mouth, nipping ever-so-lightly on the hardened nub. All I could do was work him furiously, loving the sensations he drove through me.

It was only in the next few moments that we found ourselves completely naked, touching and tasting each other everywhere. Kakuzu pumped his middle and index fingers in and out of my virgin hole, still giving tiny thrusts into my hand as I jerked him off at the same time.

It seemed the whole thing became too much for him, for he retreated his fingers, making me let out an accidental whine of disapproval. He just chuckled and positioned himself over top of me, taking my wrists and pinning them to the bed on either side of my head. I was already panting, and I felt like my heart couldn't beat any faster, my body slicked with sweat.

"Are you ready?" He asked huskily, looking deep into my eyes.

"Would you stop if I said no?" I asked teasingly, though he just narrowed his eyes.

"Couldn't even if I wanted to." He said before thrusting into me so hard he buried himself to the hilt. I let out a cry of pain at first, feeling myself being stretched more than ever. He silenced me with a passionate kiss, his lips gentle, as if to sooth me. It worked to a small degree, but the pain still throbbed as he started moving in and out slowly.

He began to pick up the pace when I calmed down and wrapped my legs around his waist. The pain started to fade out as pleasure overwhelmed my senses, the feeling of being filled by him too enjoyable to ignore. I soon found myself bucking my hips up into him, begging to be given more. He complied immediately, thrusting into me harder and faster as he released my mouth and moved to my neck again.

Finding it easier to breathe now, I let out a series of gratified moans and mewls, my nails digging into his back as he pounded me into the mattress. He then grabbed one of my legs and hoisted it up over his shoulder, allowing him to go deeper still and making me scream out in ecstasy. His eyes burned into mine, gleaming with a passion I couldn't help but return.

I felt my climax nearing quickly, like boiling water inside me just waiting to blow off its steam. I couldn't contain myself anymore when he hit a certain spot within me, causing my vision to go spotted as another scream was ripped from me. I climaxed then and there, riding out the intense orgasm as he continued to thrust into me.

It didn't take him long after to tense up, insinuating that he was on the verge of cumming, too. I pulled him down for a hungry kiss as I felt his member twitch inside me before releasing his hot seed deep within my core.

He pulled out a moment later, collapsing heavily beside me on the small bed. We both fought to regain our breath, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. If it weren't for the sticky feeling between my legs, I could have fallen asleep right there. But I sighed and got up, heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

It was while the hot water washed over my body - successfully wiping away that dirty feeling, although I didn't feel bad at all about what we had done - that I realized Hidan had taken the room right next to ours. My face went an entirely new shade of red at the thought that he might have heard all that, and the heat from the water didn't help any.

Forcing myself to calm down, I turned the water off and compelled myself to forget those thoughts. There was no changing anything now, so if Hidan felt like teasing us about it, then so be it. I didn't care, as long as Kakuzu was with me.

I grabbed a bathrobe from the pantry after drying off and returned to the bedroom, seeing Kakuzu already fast asleep on the bed. I smiled softly and climbed in with him, snuggling up comfortably to his warm chest as his arms subconsciously draped around me.

Feeling completely, utterly, 100% content, I drifted off to sleep with a satisfied smile on my face.


End file.
